The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) seems to have softened its stance in the ongoing fallen animal collection dispute.

DAFM is reportedly proposing an increase in the maximum payment rate for farmers as part of a new fallen animal collection scheme.

According to sources close to the negotiations, the proposal includes raising the fees paid directly by farmers, in addition to increasing the Department's contributions to collectors for cattle older than 48 months.

It is therefore expected that the maximum collection fee for a bovine animal older than 48 months would increase from €54.03 to €69.50, which would be a 29% increase.

At the same time, the Department’s payment to knackeries is expected to increase from €47.50 to €62/head for this class of animal, which represents a 30.5% increase.

Escalation

As the dispute escalated, the Animal Collectors' Association (ACA) confirmed last week that knackeries would no longer collect fallen sheep and horses.

In addition, knackeries also ceased to notify the Department about on-farm animal deaths.

Since October 19, fallen sheep collected by ACA-affiliated knackery operators were also not being prepared and presented to DAFM vets for sampling for the disease, scrapie.

Agriland previously reported that the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association's (ICSA) animal health and welfare chair, John Barron, urged the government to provide additional funding to resolve the dispute.

"The government needs to provide the money required to keep this essential service running without passing the extra cost on to farmers," he said.

Knackeries

A previous statement by the ACA said that it had submitted "a comprehensive, sustainable business case" to DAFM before the Fallen Animal Scheme expired on September 30.

"This proposal detailed mechanisms designed to establish a fair and workable scheme for operators, detailing options to limit increases in the rates charged to farmers."

The statement also stressed that the ACA "remains fully committed to providing a vital environmental and biosecurity service to Irish agriculture".

DAFM

In an earlier statement, a spokesperson for DAFM told Agriland that "the Fallen Animal Scheme is an important element of Ireland’s livestock infrastructure, through which department funding provides support for farmer access to fallen animal collections and protects animal health".

"The department has been engaged in negotiations with the ACA in relation to the scheme for several months, with a view towards agreeing a new scheme, which delivers support for farmers and value for taxpayers."

"The department is continuing to engage on this matter and remains open and available for constructive dialogue and negotiations," the spokesperson said.