A number of local tillage farmers will be part of a group that will protest about the price of grain outside the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin tomorrow.
Following a recent demonstration at Boortmalt in Athy, they are stepping up their campaign to “highlight the current challenges facing traditional malting barley growers and indeed the tillage sector as a whole”.
“Following our well supported demonstration of facts where we had support from other farm organisations and machinery sales businesses, we now find ourselves having to head to St. James’s Gate this Tuesday at 12 noon,” says a statement from the Irish Grain Growers Group.
“The move is due to receiving no reply from our correspondence to Boortmalt and its farmer owned parent company Axereal.
“Indeed we were thoroughly dismayed with the Diageo/Guinness response to the situation in which they effectively washed their hands of the current crisis by saying that they have no direct dealings with farmers and they carry out their purchasing of malted barley with Boortmalt.
“They even said that they do not set the price of the pint in the pubs when we suggested that the price of the pint should drop by at least 10 cent due to the poor price of malting barley. We are sure many publicans would have an opinion on that. We are repeating our call to have the price of the pint dropped by at least 10 cent for customers.
“We are making it clear … that Diageo effectively sets the price for malting barley as they buy most of the malt from Boortmalt. They have huge buying power in the relationship and are profiting on the back of growers.
“Indeed, the forward selling part of the current pricing model with Boortmalt applies to barley destined for Diageo. As this share of contracted barley was seventy per cent in 2017, it is clear that Diageo’s claim that is has no role whatsoever in negotiations regarding the price of malting barley is disingenuous at best.”
The statement quotes the Guinness website which says that “(Barley) is not an easy grain to grow, which is why we have relationships with farmers that span three generations” and that it would be a “national scandal” if the raw materials have to be imported.
The Irish Grain Growers Group say that if this happens the relationship and history between traditional Irish malting barley growers and Guinness would be lost, a key marketing tool used by Diageo at present in the Guinness Storehouse and in advertising campaigns.
“The damage to brand Ireland would be incalculable,” they add.
“We are heading to the Guinness storehouse the biggest tourist destination in Ireland where we Irish farmers are used as part of the story of Guinness. We will be handing in letters to be given to Guinness/Diageo staff.”
SEE ALSO – Pride doesn’t pay the bills as Grain Growers get set for ‘Demonstration of Facts’
