26 FEBRUARY 2020

ICSA Animal Health & Welfare chair Hugh Farrell has rejected claims made by the Department of Agriculture that it engaged intensively with stakeholders in advance of announcing the new Fallen Animal Scheme. “While we have met with the Department on this issue, our understanding was that the scheme was still under negotiation and further consultation was required to devise a scheme that would be acceptable to all sides. As it is, this has not been achieved.”

Continuing Mr Farrell said, “The protection of a nationwide knackery service and for that service to be available to farmers at a reasonable price was supposed to be the primary goal of these talks. We now face a situation whereby the knackeries are unhappy and have stopped collection services and farmers face the prospect of significant increases in the cost of disposal of dead animals. The proposed price hikes will be particularly galling for sectors that struggle to make any profit at all.”

“This premature announcement from the Department of Agriculture is likely to cause more division and disruption. An urgent meeting of all stakeholders must be called so that workable compromise can be reached,” Mr Farrell concluded.

ENDS