This is a subscriber-only article
Knackery yards nationwide will remain closed until a new deal is agreed with the Department of Agriculture to reflect the 2019 cost of animal collection, the Animal Collectors Association (ACA) has said.
ACA members say there were in the region of 3,000 dead cattle on farms waiting for collection on Friday [13 September].
Refusal
However, they are refusing to collect those fallen animals until a deal is struck with the Department of Agriculture.
“It was unanimously decided that the gates of knackeries will stay closed and will not open again for trading unless agreement has been reached on an adequate package with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine,” ACA chair Michael McKeever said.
They cannot dispose of them in a safe and regulated manner
“There are in the region of 3,000 dead bovine animals left in fields and yards to decay.
"These include approximately 750 high risk bovines which should have been TSE tested by the Department of Agriculture.
“There are also fallen sheep, goats, horses, etc, left around the country as the farmer/owner has no knackery to collect them, so they cannot dispose of them in a safe and regulated manner,” McKeever warned.
No longer viable
The ACA chair said it was no longer viable for family-run businesses to continue without the return of adequate funding from the Government.
“Knackeries have been subsidising the direct costs associated with our primary role of the collection and disposal of fallen animals for a long time,” he said.
Knackery operations will not continue in the country as it is no longer viable to stay operational
“Without assistance from the Department of Agriculture, knackery operations will not continue in the country as it is no longer viable to stay operational.”
He called on the Department to set rates that “recognise the cost of service of delivery in 2019”.
“The cost of Government services seem to rise every year, yet they expect the cost of small businesses like fallen animal collection to remain static for a decade or so,” said McKeever.
“Knackeries will not commence operations again until their issues have been resolved.”
Fallen Animal Scheme
Until the Fallen Animal Scheme was scaled back in 2009, knackery operators were paid a subsidy per head.
They were paid €19.30/head for a calf under six months, €64.70/head for cattle aged six to 24 months and €68.10 for cattle over 24 months.
Today, the Department of Agriculture only pays for the rendering cost of cattle over 48 months.
As a result, knackery operators say they have lost more than 80% of the subsidy they received from Government.
They also have serious issues with the lack of competition in the rendering sector, which they say has doubled the cost of rendering carcases.
SHARING OPTIONS: