Knackeries across the country are to shut their gates tomorrow in a nationwide protest.

Thirty-eight members of the Animal Collectors Association will refuse to take in any fallen animals in a protest over the escalating cost of their business.

Michael McKeever, chair of the association, told the Irish Farmers Journal that a lack of competition in the rendering sector, combined with a collapse in the hide trade and an increase in the seasonality of the business, is pushing many knackeries to the brink of going out of business.

Talks between the Animal Collectors Association and the Department of Agriculture collapsed on Tuesday, he said.

Travel restrictions

Since 2013, knackeries are restricted in how far they can move carcases from older animals.

A rule introduced that year means that carcases from over 48-month-old animals cannot travel beyond a 125km radius of the knackery yard.

This has dramatically reduced the competition between rendering plants, which process the carcases.

That, according to the Animal Collectors Association, pushed the price of rendering material up from around €50/t pre-2013 to an average of €90-€120/t this year.

Rendering plants

There are four rendering plants on the island of Ireland that are licensed to process Category 1 risk material: Dublin Products in Co Wicklow, Waterford Proteins in Co Waterford, College Proteins in Co Meath and Foyle Proteins in Co Derry.

Rendering costs are significantly cheaper in Foyle Proteins but because of the 125km rule, only some knackeries are allowed to send carcases there for rendering.

Every animal we collect is costing us money

“For the last two years our members have been working at a loss,” Michael McKeever told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“At the moment every animal we collect is costing us money.”

The association wants the Department of Agriculture to open up competition in the rendering sector, which would push rendering cost down.

“Otherwise we will have to start charging farmers astronomical costs to collect animals,” he said. “We don’t want to do that.”

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