Walsh lifts deadline on Vet certificates

A BREATHING space has been provided for the key parties involved in a deadlocked dispute over who should pay for veterinary inspections of dairy herds.

Each of the 28,000 dairy farmers in the country must have the health of their milking cows certified by a vet under an EU directive on animal health requirements.

A deadline of December 31 next was fixed for the return of the certificate to the farmer’s co-op. Non-compliance would mean that milk from non-certified herds could not be accepted for processing after January 1, 2003.