Farmers can now apply for licence to bury dead animals on their land
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said the short-term measure was due to the 'challenges' farmers are facing as a result of having to keep fallen animals on their farms. File picture
Farmers can, for the first time in 20 years, apply for a licence to bury dead animals on their land due to an ongoing dispute between renderers and animal collectors.
The announcement has been met with concern from environmental groups, who said the disposal of animals on farms could “pose a serious risk of pollution and disease”.
Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said the short-term measure was due to the “challenges” farmers are facing as a result of having to keep fallen animals on their farms.
The dispute has arisen following substantial increases to fees charged by renders to animal collectors for the disposal of non-TSE-tested fallen farm stock.
Speaking to the , Mr McConalogue said the move was not “ideal” for farmers or from a Government policy point of view.
However, he said: “We have to provide options as well in the short term and in recognition of the challenges.”
He said he had ensured animal collectors could have access to facilities in Northern Ireland and a guidance document outlining the requirements for dispatch to rendering plans in the North has been sent to the Animal Collectors Association.
He added: “When a farmer discovers a fallen animal, their first contact point should be their local fallen animal collector.
“However, in exceptional circumstances, in the event of a farmer not being able to get a collector to remove a dead animal carcass, burial on the farm may be considered.
“This requires a burial license from DAFM and understandably comes with strict environmental conditions. To obtain a licence, the herd keeper must inform the local regional veterinary office of the department, who will provide the information required.”
The minister has called the renderers and animal collectors to engage with each other to resolve their differences. He said his department officials also continue to engage with stakeholders to find a resolution, but the department is not in dispute with either parties.
Fintan Kelly, agriculture policy officer with the environmental pillar of Friends of the Earth, said the existing proposals in place were there for a very good reason.
“While we assume that the environmental conditions the Minister is proposing are sound, we know that in the real world there is rarely 100% compliance.
“There are always isolated incidents around the country of animals having been disposed of illegally in streams and ditches,” Mr Kelly added.
He said the department would not have the resources to “properly monitor” what is happening on the ground, so the occurrence of these incidents may increase.”
Reacting to the announcement by the minister, Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard, who is a dairy farmer, welcomed the confirmation the minister was engaging with all sides to find a solution.
He said although it was not ideal, the move to allow burial licences and the use of rendering facilities in Northern Ireland was helpful.
He added: “It is only a stop-gap though and we can’t lose the urgency around finding a resolution to the dispute.
“Geographically, the option of taking animals to Northern Ireland doesn’t work for all counties.
“We’re not talking about small numbers here, I’ve had calls from knackeries who have hundreds of animals for disposal. This is a crisis that needs to be resolved sooner rather than later,” Mr Lombard added.
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