Factory fire adds to woes of already-under-pressure farmers

THE fire that destroyed Glanbia’s pigmeat processing plant in Edenderry, Co Offaly, has come at a difficult time for the industry.

A total of 400 producers supply nearly three million pigs a year to a dwindling number of processing plants, but these farmers are now under pressure from rising feed prices and a likely impact on costs later this year from the nitrates directive.

A backlog of pig supplies arising from the Edenderry fire would exacerbate their situation in an industry that accounts for 7% of agricultural output.