"No confidence in Bord Bia's Larry," says Longford IFA chair, John Sheridan

Members of Longford IFA were in attendance at the rolling sit-in protest at the Bord Bia HQ in Ballsbridge, Dublin, last weekend, Friday February  6. 

The protest was launched in response to the staunch refusal of Larry Murrin, to step down from his role as chairman of Bord Bia following revelations that his company, Dawn Farms, imports Brazilian beef. 

Read More: "We all know what Brazilian beef is full of!" - Longford Cllr Gerry Hagan

Since the protest began on January 28, IFA chairs and members from county branches nationwide have been on a participation rota.

Members of Longford IFA protesting outside Bord Bia HQ in Ballsbridge, Dublin. L-to-R: Declan Hanrahan IFA Livestock chair, Gretta Tynan, Margaret Henson, John O’Hanlon, Alice Doyle IFA Deputy President, Eithne Scally, Rosalind McCormack, Jim Tynan, Longford IFA Chair John Sheridan.

IFA County Chair John Sheridan and representatives from Longford attended on January 29 and again last Friday, February  6. 

Speaking to the Longford Leader Mr Sheridan said there was an “undeniable conflict of interest” between Mr Murrin’s role as CEO of Dawn Foods, a company found to be importing beef from Brazil, and his role as Chair of Bord Bia, a body founded to specifically promote Irish produce.

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With its members furious over the news regarding Dawn Foods' involvement in the purchase of produce from Brazil, the IFA have been mounting pressure on the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, to have Mr Murrin removed from his role with Bord Bia.

Protests have been taking place in the Bord Bia HQ as well as outside the minister’s constituency office in Kildare. 

Speaking about Longford IFA’s presence last Friday night at the sit-in at the Bord Bia HQ, county chair John Sheridan said, “His (Murrin’s) business decisions in relation to purchasing cheap beef and poultry from producers who have much lower standards, are his own business." 

"They are not compatible with the role of the Chair of Bord Bia."

"Irish farmers want to keep our standards high and there is a clear conflict of interest between our highly traceable product and that of the South American imports of beef and poultry used by Larry Murrin in his own business.”

Read More: Farmers call for Bord Bia chairman to resign as they protest outside offices

Mr Sheridan added, “The IFA have NO confidence in Larry Murrin to continue as Chair of Bord Bia due to this conflict of interest as stated above, and we insist he must resign as Chair, so farmer confidence in Bord Bia can be restored and we can get back to business producing and selling some of the best produce in the world, to a range of local and international customers.”