Unacceptable That Live Exports Would Be Held Up by Dept Bureaucracy

IFA President Tim Cullinan said a number of farmers have been in contact with the IFA expressing frustration and complaining about the lack of co-operation of a small number of Department of Agriculture officials in the loading of the live export ship the Sarah M in Waterford earlier this week.

Tim Cullinan said this is totally unacceptable in the current crisis, where farmers are finding it extremely difficult to sell cattle and are having to take severe price cuts.

“Farmers and exporters need the full co-operation of everybody in the current crisis.”

Some farmers who had livestock on the ship explained that there were significant delays in scanning and processing cards.  Some have alleged that some cards were mixed up and lost in the process.

IFA National Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said live exports were never more important in terms of price competition and additional market outlets.

IFA has been working with the exporters, Bord Bia and the Department of Agriculture to maximise the live export trade and there is no place for bureaucracy which would hold it up.