Meat processing sector must raise standards

Farmers, consumers and of course animals are the losers in this latest outrageous horsemeat scandal that has engulfed the meat industry.

It will require strong and decisive leadership to fix it, and Ireland should be at the forefront of any change.

Over the past two years, I’ve become very familiar with the demands placed upon farmers here when raising and managing cattle. Strict controls over reporting of births and forensic attention to the paperwork needed to move cattle anywhere are now part and parcel of farming in Ireland.