Yesterday morning (Tuesday, October 16) Criostoir O’Crualaoi was driving to work when he noticed that a perpetrator had entered his land overnight and “ran a knife right down the rows of bales”.
Criostoir is a farmer who also owns a meat factory, which processes about 100 cattle and 150 sheep every week.
The factory is located beside where the 111 bales were slashed in Ballyburden, Ballincollig, Co. Cork.
He explained to AgriLand that he is in disbelief at what has happened to his bales of silage.
He said: “It looks at if someone just walked past them with a sharp knife; 10 of us spent three hours yesterday evening trying to seal the bales.”
Criostoir noted that the bales had been sold before he discovered what had happened to them. He has informed the buyer who is coming to examine them today to determine if he still wants to buy them or not.
He acknowledged that the farmer who has bought the bales said he “will try and stand over the deal”.
I suppose I will have to drop the value of them now; I can’t charge him what I should be getting for them – it was desperate carry on.
“The fear is now that the air will get into them and they will start to go off,” he exclaimed.
Criostoir concluded by expressing his concern, saying he does not know if “it is a personal attack or just someone acting the maggot”.