Dairy processors say protests are putting welfare of animals at acute risk

Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) has said that the ongoing fuel price protests are placing the welfare of animals at acute risk.

DII, which represents dairy processors, has called for a measured and immediate de-escalation of the protests to prevent any further harmful disruption to the Irish dairy supply chain.

“While we recognise the severe cost pressures driving these demonstrations, the resulting disruptions are presenting immediate operational and logistical challenges for our farmer suppliers, hauliers and processing staff.

“The Irish dairy sector operates on a highly time-sensitive, continuous basis - milk is a perishable product that must be collected from farms and processed without delay,” DII said.

Beyond the immediate economic and operational threats to milk processing, these transport and fuel disruptions pose a severe growing risk to animal welfare, DII said.

“If feed production at our mills is curtailed and deliveries to farms are obstructed, livestock nutrition will be directly compromised.

"Furthermore, restricted movement on our road networks severely hampers the ability of veterinary practitioners to reach farms and respond to animal health emergencies.

“The welfare of our national herd is an absolute priority and it is vital that essential feed, veterinary care and emergency agricultural services can access rural Ireland without impediment,” it said.

Pressures

DII director Conor Mulvihill said that DII fully understands the immense financial pressures facing individuals, transport operators and businesses as a result of the current energy crisis.

“These are the exact same pressures our own processing workers, businesses and farming families are grappling with daily. However, the current protests are inadvertently placing the livelihoods of rural communities, the safety of our workforce and the welfare of animals at acute risk.

“A breakdown in the essential food and agriculture supply chain serves no one. We urgently request that essential fuel and agricultural infrastructure, milk collections and feed deliveries be allowed to operate unimpeded,” he said.

Mulvihill said that DII will be meeting Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon on Friday morning to look for solutions to the current impasse.

“We urge all stakeholders to engage constructively with the Government to alleviate these energy pressures before significant damage is done to the sector,” he said.