Dead animals piling up on farms due to dispute between knackeries and rendering plants – Lombard & Cummins

Dead animals are being left lying on farms because of an ongoing dispute between knackeries and rendering plants which needs the immediate intervention of the Agriculture Minister, two Fine Gael politicians have said.

Fine Gael Senators Tim Lombard and John Cummins said the quarrel between knackeries and rendering plants has reached crisis point.

The issue has its origins in the price of rendering fallen animals between rendering plants and knackeries and has escalated in recent weeks. Consequently, due to the knackeries inability to pay the cost of rendering, dead animals are being left on farms nationwide.

Senator Lombard, a dairy farmer, said Minister Charlie McConalogue has to intervene.

“Everyday this dispute is allowed to continue sees the number of fallen animals increase on farms across the country. It’s unacceptable and can’t continue. Knackeries are effectively closed because of this dispute. There is nowhere to take fallen animals and we have farmers who are left with dead animals.

“It’s a tough situation for farming families anyway when an animal is lost and you have to make that call to the knackery for collection. To think the animal can’t be collected is just not on. It’s soul destroying for the farmer.

“We encourage farmers to look after their well-being and mental health, yet two weeks before Christmas, we have this unacceptable situation where farmers are left with dead animals lying around.

“No one wants a dead animal on their farm but the knackeries are full and animals are not being collected.

“This issue has been building for months.  Farming organisation and others highlighted the problems but no action was taken by the Minister or the Department of Agriculture.

“Now we’re at crisis point and urgently need a resolution. Unfortunately, at this time of year, there is an increased risk and potential for animals to die. Minister McConalogue must intervene, get all parties around the table and find a resolution to this crisis,” Senator Lombard said.

His Fine Gael colleague, Senator John Cummins from Waterford, said this is a problem that will not resolve itself.

“The Minister needs to get all stakeholders in the one room and hammer out a workable solution.

“I have been contacted by a number of farmers in Waterford who have fallen animals on their farms with no way of removing them due to the dispute which is now ongoing now.

“This is causing huge distress for farmers. To lose an animal is hard enough but to have to endure a decomposing animal on your farm is simply unacceptable.

“The follow on problems of wildlife being attracted on to farms can result in TB outbreaks and all the consequent problems this causes.

“If a resolution cannot be reached immediately, I would be calling for the department to issue burial licences to farmers who through no fault of their own have found themselves with a fallen animal on their farm.

“Anything less will just prolong the distress which many farmers across the country are currently enduring,” Senator Cummins said.