Sir, – When a farmer sells his animals in a mart he has no control over what the purchaser does with them.
As a retired veterinary inspector I can confirm that there is clear transparency concerning the conditions in which food animals are bred, reared, transported and slaughtered.
All of these areas are regularly inspected by Department of Agriculture staff. Occasionally veterinary inspectors have travelled with consignments of animals to their destination.
In Ireland food producers use their land to produce products for which the land is suitable. Many soil types and conditions in this country are not suitable for growing grain or vegetables.
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The way to ban live exports is to go to the purchasing country and persuade the traders not to purchase Irish animals.
– Yours, etc,
RICHARD ALLEN,
Cummeen,
Co Sligo.