Walsh lifts deadline on Vet certificates
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.
But the dispute over whether farmers, vets or the State should carry the additional costs of the veterinary inspections brought the process to a halt, leaving farmers without their certificates. Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh has now acknowledged that the specified closing date of December 31 for the receipt of certificates cannot be met.
It is the Department intention, however, that inspections be carried out in 2003 and that a closing date will be prescribed when those arrangements are put in place. The move followed a decision by Lakeland Dairies to notify its 3,000 milk suppliers that after January 1, 2003 it could not collect milk from those who had not returned their completed forms by December 31, 2002.
Veterinary Ireland president Seán Ó Laoide welcomed the decision to lift the deadline for the receipt of certificates. Vets had sought this three months ago to take the heat out of the dispute.
The IFA also welcomed the announcement that it has now suspended the December 31 deadline.
Dairy committee chairman Michael Murphy said the scheme was deadlocked, and no farmer could get a certificate signed, due to lack of co-operation by the vets. He said the minister, however, had no business setting a new deadline for the scheme until he puts in place a workable certification scheme linked to the TB test.
“Common sense must prevail. Let us not forget that, after initial teething difficulties, the scheme ran reasonably smoothly three years ago. There is absolutely no reason why it would not operate just as simply this time around,” he said.
ICMSA president Pat O’Rourke said the approach of the department on farm inspection and certification is in urgent need of overhaul and effective management.
The minister should now withdraw the on-farm inspection procedures under the National Beef Assurance Scheme, as it is not working and the Government has not honoured its commitment on funding.
Mr Walsh should arrange for full consultation with farm organisations and Veterinary Ireland to put in place an efficient system of testing and certification. The current system was unworkable, expensive and fragmented.
Mr O’Rourke said the extension of time for the dairy herd cert provides an opportunity for the minister and his Department to act now in a determined way and not to again postpone taking action on their responsibilities.
