The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has issued advice to farmers with fallen animals awaiting collection amidst the ongoing strike by knackeries across the country.
In a statement to this publication, a spokesperson for the DAFM said: “It is regrettable that the Animal Collectors Association has acted in concert to withhold commercial collection services from farmers, despite the provision, through a revised Fallen Animals’ Scheme, of substantially increased subsidies for its members.”
“The department would ask members of the association to continue to provide this vital service to their customers and has indicated that it remains available to the ACA to discuss the detail of the revised scheme.”
In the meantime, the statement added, department’s advice to farmers is that animal carcases awaiting collection should be stored on-farm in a way that domestic animals, farmed livestock and wild animals/birds cannot gain access to them.
“These should be held securely under a protective cover, such as a tarpaulin or in an enclosed building.” the spokesperson concluded.
