Bord Bia Chair’s Dismissal of Brazilian Beef Issue as ‘Emotional Nonsense’ has Enraged Farmers

IFA Deputy President Alice Doyle said that comments by Bord Bia Chair Larry Murrin reported in today’s Farmer’s Journal dismissing farmers and their families concerns about his importation of Brazilian beef as ‘emotional nonsense’ have enraged farmers.

“I was at the protest last night when the Journal went online and farmers who saw it were raging to see their concerns dismissed in this way,” she said.

“These comments show the total contempt Mr. Murrin has for farmers and their families. He has no understanding of the important part farmers play in Bord Bia’s Quality Assurance schemes. It’s quite clear that he is out of touch with the farmers who are producing the food,” she said.

Mr. Murrin talks guff about the need to lead, but ignores the leadership shown by various elected farmer officers down through the years who encouraged farmers to participate in QA schemes when they were far from popular.

“If Mr. Murrin knows anything about leadership, he will know that putting yourself ahead of your organisation is the worst form of leadership,” she said. 

“His whole interview is dripping with arrogance with Mr. Murrin hyping himself up and refusing to give due credit to farmers for their efforts,” she said.

“The main emotion farmers are feeling over all of this is anger and the only nonsense is being spoken by the Chair of Bord Bia who is now a lame duck chair. He should go before he does any more damage,” she concluded.