Knackeries announce strike action
The difficulties experienced by farmers across Cavan are set to be compounded as dead animal collection services announced the commencement of strike action. Harefort Ltd, the dead animals disposal company of Colm Mulvaney, issued immediate strike notice today.
Regina Mulvaney says the strike action will continue indefinitely: “We were in negotiations with the Department and they said they would come up with a solution to our predicament last Monday. None was forthcoming so we feel we have been forced into this situation.”
The company say limits on transportation distance imposed by the Department of Agriculture in 2013 have driven up rendering costs. A statement said: “The Animal Collection Association is calling for additional supports to ensure the viability of the industry.”
Regina said: “Due to breakdown of negotiations with the Department of Agriculture all knackeries are closing as of Tuesday 10th of September until further notice. These talks have been going on for seven years now.”
The strike action is part of a concerted nationwide action as knackeries across the country shut their gates today [Tuesday] in protest. Thirty-eight members of the Animal Collectors Association have refuses to take in any fallen animals in a protest over the escalating cost of their business.
As well as the claim of a lack of competition in the rendering sector, they point to a collapse in the hide trade and an increase in the seasonality of the business, which is pushing many knackeries to the brink of going out of business.
Since 2013, knackeries are restricted in how far they can move carcases from older animals. A rule introduced that year means that carcases from over 48-month-old animals cannot travel beyond a 125km radius of the knackery yard.
Colm Mulvaney said the future of the company is at steak: “We are in financial difficulties and are no longer financially viable we have been looking for a review of the fallen animal scheme since the original scheme collapsed in 2009.
“Based on number of dead animals recorded on aims 2018 we are running at a reduction of 81% of the original Fallen Animal Scheme,” he said.
The business receive financial assistance from the department for animal over 48 months. He says this is only a fraction of the animals dealt with: “In 2018 we processed paperwork for almost 300,000 dead animals however we only department funding for 70,000 animals. That leaves us to do the admin work to keep the farmers herd profiles up to date for the remaining 230,000 animals without any assistance from the department.”
The Animal Collectors Association is calling for additional supports to be made available to ensure the viability of the industry.
In a statement the Department of Agriculture said they will continue discussions with the representative body: “DAFM has been in discussion the Animal Collector’s Association (ACA) in the last weeks, in relation to the operations of knackeries and the Fallen Animal Scheme. Arising from the discussions, DAFM has made proposals that would further enhance the supports it gives to the important work that knackeries undertake within the agri-sector. The Department seeks to continue our discussions with ACA with a view to resolving this issue.”