Farmers defend animal treatment

FARMERS last night defended their treatment of animals after it emerged 200,000 cattle died here last year.

The death rate has been described as shocking by animal welfare groups.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) insisted the figure was not worryingly high.

“There are seven million cattle and 126,000 herds in the country, which means there was 1.6 deaths on each farm,” an IFA spokesperson said.

“It must also be said that the figures are for 2002. This was a wet year and there were problems with fodder.”

The IFA doesn’t believe the figures are above other European countries. However, Compassion in World Farming Ireland (CWFI) said the deaths were shocking. “It’s vital we figure out the cause of the deaths,” CWFI director Mary-Anne Bartlett said.

Veterinary expert Bill Cashman yesterday backed Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh’s decision to investigate the figure.

“It’s certainly worth looking at how this compares to other European countries,” Mr Cashman said.

Labour Party agriculture spokesperson Mary Upton called on the Minister for Agriculture to improve the animal tracking system.

“I am shocked that with all the modern tracking equipment available, almost a quarter of a million cattle deaths happen each year without explanation,” she said.

The system should be able to pinpoint when, where and why an animal died, Ms Upton said.