Call for financial package to help processors

INDUSTRY REACTION:AN EMERGENCY financial package will be required from the Government to assist pig processors because the products being recalled are worth 25 per cent of annual pig production, according to the Irish Association of Pigmeat Processors (IAPP).

Cormac Healy, IAPP director, said production "at the farm gate" is worth about €500 million annually, and value increases "as you go along the processing chain".

The amount of product being recalled was the equivalent of one quarter of the total number of animals processed each year, he said.

"At primary processing level, the kind of turnover we're talking about is at least €125 million. But the overall cost is in the hundreds of millions," he said.

Companies "will require a financial package from Government to try and come through this and carry on their business", he said.

Irish pig meat processors "operate to the highest EU and international standards. This issue has been thrust upon us because of a feed contaminant problem on a small number of farms".

The output of the 10 farms involved represented less than 10 per cent of Irish pig meat production, but the "intent of the full recall is to move quickly to reassure consumers that the limited amount of product in the overall system that may have contamination is thoroughly dealt with immediately".

The Irish pig meat sector has "a strong international reputation for quality products", he added.

Measures to recall all pork products would eliminate the problem of contamination and reassure consumers, said Irish Farmers' Association president Padraig Walshe.

Mr Walshe described the pork recall as "an absolute disaster" at an important time of the year for the pig sector, but he was hopeful that pig meat free of any contamination would be back on Irish shelves within a matter of days.

He stressed that less than 10 per cent of the products on the market had been processed since September 1st. "We want to reassure the consumer there are meats ready for processing as we speak and they will be processed during the week and will be perfectly safe," he added.

Eddie Punch, general secretary of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA), said the majority of farmers are not using the contaminated ration and it was vital that the source of the contamination was rapidly identified to ensure the majority of pig farms, which have not been exposed, "can get back to business immediately, and as quickly as possible get pork back on the shelves".

Mr Punch said beef was much less susceptible to such contamination, in part because cattle were less intensively farmed and also used less food rations, being fed mainly grass and silage.

"Pig is much more likely to give rise to the problem than bovine," he said, as the fat was dispersed through the meat.

"Questions will have to be answered regarding the adequacy of controls over animal ration compounding," said ICSA president Malcolm Thompson.

There would be "concerns at the adequacy of sampling procedures for ingredients in animal ration, and in particular the process of sampling imported ingredients at the first point of entry, the ports".

Ciaran Dolan, general secretary of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), said the response by Government and all agencies showed that "we have a system that is robust and that allowed the contaminated source to be traced within minutes".

The mistakes made were not fundamental and the full transparency shown by the authorities and the up-front information given was a signal to consumers on the domestic front and internationally of a very robust system in Ireland.

Since all pork products were being withdrawn - even though 90 per cent were not in any way affected - the consumer could be confident that all new product being put on the shelf "is absolutely safe".

Mr Dolan stressed "it wasn't farmers who were at fault", and the issue showed the need for more monitoring of animal feeds and to have capability for toxicology testing and monitoring in Ireland.