Farmers criticise disease levies rise
IFA president John Dillon accused Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh of imposing an extra 5m annual cost on farmers for BSE testing, in addition to a 10m rise in TB and brucellosis levies.
He said support estimated at between €30m and €40m to the rendering industry for the processing and disposal of meat and bonemeal was also being withdrawn from March 1.
Mr Dillon said the minister was threatening farmers with €50m in disease costs, while refusing to tackle the glaring inefficiencies and excessive costs in disease control by his department.
ICSA Beef Committee chairman Joe Kilmartin, in criticising the increased charges, said social partnership is no longer an option for farmers.
But a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture said that in 2001, in the aftermath of the BSE crisis, the State provided €460m in support to the sector.
In 2002, the rendering support was reduced to €43m. A further €28m was provided for this year.
“Because of overhanging commitments from rendering and disposal activities carried out in 2002, the current provision will only cover rendering carried out up to the end February and for ongoing storage costs for product in store to the end of the year,” the spokesman said.
