The protests led the company to cut its purchases of oilseeds, brokers said.

Saipol crushes oilseeds, mainly rapeseed, to produce biodiesel, vegetable oil and animal feed.

There have been protests at two other units but these did not last, Avril spokesman Tom Doron told Reuters.

Saipol crushes 3.5 million tonnes of oilseeds per year and produces 1.3 million tonnes of biodiesel and 1.8 million tonnes of meal used in feed, he said.