The Irish Farmers' Association president, Mr John Dillon, said last night he was "prepared to examine" an offer by the Irish Meat Association which could end the five week cattle price protest.
The IMA, representing the meat factories, said it was responding to a request from Mr Dillon for meetings at local level with the factories and had arranged to meet a number of farmer suppliers. It would do so, it said, during the coming days to discuss all aspects of the beef market provided the protests were lifted.
Mr Dillon, who yesterday joined protesters outside five of the State's largest meat plants, said he has had no contact with the meat plants.
"However, Mr Dillon said he is prepared to examine the IMA offer but the fundamental issue will be the price of cattle," said an IFA spokesman last night.
Mr Dillon, said earlier in the day there would be a review tomorrow of the dispute which has been going on for the past five weeks, and he was prepared to meet anyone who might resolve it.
However, he warned there was growing support for the dispute within the IFA and farmers were not prepared to accept the lowest possible price available in Europe.
"The factories are taking advantage of the situation now that the weather had disimproved and there is no more grass for animals which have to be sold," he said.
"We cannot go on taking more than 20p per lb less than farmers in the UK who must be pretty unhappy that Irish beef is being dumped in on their markets at such low cost," he said.
Last night, however, sources close to the IFA leadership said they feared the IMA was attempting to drive a wedge between the IFA leadership and beef farmers by offering a meeting to farmer/producers rather than to IFA representatives.