Competition Authority backs farmers at last
Farmers have welcomed their warning to the Department of Agriculture that restricting the availability of routine farm remedies to Prescription Only could lead to escalating costs for farmers.
Farmers fear the creation of a monopoly by a Department of Agriculture ruling which could result in a price hike.
The Competition Authority has advised the Department to examine the system currently used in the UK, where suitably qualified persons be allowed to issue prescriptions for preventative treatments and regularly used remedies.
The vast majority of farmers are now more highly qualified than ever before in farming practices through Green Cert and other farming qualifications. It is hard to reconcile the current animal husbandry knowledge and training levels among farmers with the notion that access to routine animal treatments be further restricted.
As far as farmers are concerned, Prescription Only is yet another layer of procedure, another delay in obtaining necessary remedies, and another cost burden on a farming business hit by falling profitability.
The final decision on POM has yet to be taken by Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan. Her performance to date in agriculture has reflected logic and common sense.
Strengthened by the recommendation of the Competition Authority, it is unlikely that she will fail to see the logic in delivering a balanced outcome on this issue.
