24 MARCH 2020

ICSA Animal Health & Welfare chair Hugh Farrell has called on the Department of Agriculture to put measures in place to ensure farmers can readily speak with all relevant sections of the department, as needed. “It has never been more important for farmers to be able to get through to the Department of Agriculture and to have their issues resolved,” he said.

“Our members are reporting that it is increasingly difficult to get through to the Department, and when they do, they are being passed along to call centres and made to wait an excessive amount of time to receive call backs. This is unacceptable and proving to be very frustrating, particularly on the veterinary side of things, when farmers are already under enormous pressure.”

“Physical access to Department offices has understandably been restricted, but mechanisms must now be put in place as a matter of urgency to mitigate the impact of this. Likewise, all non-essential Department visits to farms should stop.”

ENDS