Cull cow price

The issue of quality assurance has reared its head again. The Dealer has heard of a few cases lately where dairy cows were killed and the animal’s owners were paid prices of €50 to €80 per animal.

One individual case has come to light where the value of a cull dairy cow was as low as €25.

The animal in question was imported and consequently did not possess quality assurance.

After deductions for non-QA, country of origin and carcase grade, the cow would have barely covered the cost of transporting the animal to the factory.

Blue ear deal

I have been told that a compensation deal for pig farmers affected by the outbreak of blue ear disease has been agreed in the past couple of weeks.

Around 40 farmers and one third of the national sow herd (approximately 48,000 sows) were affected by the outbreak following a contamination in the Hermitage Genetics AI system.

The effects of the outbreak are still being felt with restrictions on many farms. However, it’s positive to hear that a package has been agreed and I hope the industry can now move on.