The Irish Farmers Association protest at the Dawn Meats plant at Grannagh, Co Waterford, was lifted last night to facilitate talks to take place between the local IFA and the factory management.
Late last night, the president of the IFA, Mr John Dillon, travelled to Dawn's other plant, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, where similar talks were expected to take place.
An IFA spokesman said the protest at the Waterford plant had been lifted to help advance the talks which began late last evening.
However, the IFA has advised beef farmers not to bring cattle to the plant later today as there would be no processing at the plant which has been the subject of the protest since Tuesday evening over the price of cattle.
Protests at the other targeted meat plants, the AIBP plants in Nenagh and Cahir, Co Tipperary, and the Kepak plant in Clonee, Co Meath, continued last night and are not expected to end until late this evening.
The Irish Meat Association, which had agreed it would meet farmer suppliers at local plants "to discuss all aspects of the beef market" provided the protests were lifted, was making no formal comment on the development last night.
However, one meat industry source said he understood that talks about cattle prices were not taking place but there were "exploratory discussions" going on at the Dawn plant in Waterford.
On Wednesday, Mr Dillon said the IFA was prepared to examine an offer by the Irish Meat Association which raised the possibility of a resolution of the five-week protest.