Farmers push for new offal use

Farming organisations are pushing for new commercial uses for animal offal which is banned under EU law.

The subsidy which is paid to producers for the cost of rendering the offal will expire in three months time, after the Department of Agriculture agreed to a limited extension.

Farmers have called off their planned boycott of meat plants for next week, averting major disruption to supplies.

However, the IFA's livestock committee chairman Derek Dean is calling for a long term solution.