This article is from page 70 of the 2007-07-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 70 JPG
IT looks increasingly likely that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisher- ies and Food, Mary Coughlan, will face many of the same challenges in her second term of office as she did in her first. One issue that shows no sign of resolution is the ongoing issue concerning BSE testing.
Indeed Coughlan came under re- newed pressure to move on the is- sue of compensation for the cost of testing animals between 30 and 36 peeved ete
Last week Clare farmer and chair-
man of the ICMSA Beef and Cattle Committee, Martin McMahon, stat- ed that in line with the commitment given under “Towards 2016’, the De- partment should immediately agree to fund the cost of BSE testing cattle between 30 and 36 months until such time as EU legislation is changed to remove the requirement.
According to McMahon, under the terms of “Iowards 2016’, a commit- ment was secured that the Govern- ment would seek a higher age for BSE testing. The ICMSA has stated that it is very disappointed with the slow progress being made on this matter
with a conclusion now unlikely until well into 2008 at EU level.
Mr. McMahon added that the mat- ter was perfectly simple – farmers cannot continue to carry this cost.
‘At a time when beef farmers are under severe pressure on prices and costs, it is essential that regulatory costs are kept to a minimum.
BSE testing of cattle between 30 and 36 months cost farmers nearly €6 million in 2006 and farmers now want to see this cost removed imme- diately”, said McMahon.
Given the delay at EU level in ad- dressing the BSE testing age and as
recognition of the problems facing beef producers at this time, the IC- MSA 1s proposing that the Minister should immediately fund the full cost of BSE testing cattle between 30 and 36 months.
“This would represent a one-off cost only as it would no longer be re- quired once the EU raise the age of BSE testing. It would, however, 1m- mediately meet the commitment give under “Towards 2016’ and would re- move a substantial cost on beef farm- ers at this time of depressed prices,” concluded McMahon.