By Des Maguire

THE new Purchase for Destruction Scheme will never be capable of absorbing the much publicised figure of 20,000 cattle a week plus, because of the shortage of specified risk material (SRM) processing and storage capacity in the country, it can be revealed this week.

Only one plant in the country, Monery By-Products in Crossdoney, Co. Cavan is licensed to render specified risk material from cattle.

This plant is owned by the IAWS group and is already operating at close to capacity dealing with the uptake of SRM from the normal weekly commercial kill, from fallen animals and BSE depopulations before the new cull is even considered.

Storage

Contrary to media reports, more cattle could have been culled last week had more SRM rendering or storage capacity been available.

Because of a build-up of meat and bone-meal at the plant its capacity to process additional SRM from the new BSE cull is limited unless the EPA approves other centres to freeze and store specified risk material pending processing and/or incineration abroad, or alternatively approves a second Irish plant to render SRM material under licence.

There is no problem in coping with the normal meat and bonemeal rendering problems associated with a cull of 20,000 cattle a week.

The five dedicated plants nominated by the Department to service the Destruct Scheme have a rendering capacity of 8,500 tonnes a week which is sufficient for a kill of 20,000 cattle a week.

These are Munster Proteins, Cahir, Premier Proteins, Ballinasloe, National ByProducts, Cashel, Slaney Proteins, Bunclody and Western Proteins, Ballyhaunis.

However the capacity to deal with the processing of additional specified risk material from culled cattle is another matter entirely.

New SRM trim rules

Since January 1 last more SRM has to be removed from the carcases of cattle than has been the case up to now because of new EU rules that the whole intestine must be included as part of the SRM trim as well as the spinal cord, brain, tonsils and head.

The SRM trim has increased from 12.5 kgs to between 45/50 kgs per animal putting further pressure on the rendering capacity.

Monery By-Products is only licensed to render 1,000 tonnes of SRM a week. It is already operating close to capacity on a weekly basis with the normal commercial kill, BSE depopulations and fallen animals. The additional SRM trim is a major headache for them.

Capacity to render SRM disposal of 2,400 tonnes a week is needed to underpin a cattle cull of 20,000 cattle a week on top of normal commercial and fallen animal requirements.

This would need a second processing facility on the scale of Monery By-Products or EPA approval for additional storage facilities to freeze and store SRM, (which is considered to be a hazardous waste material) at other approved centres pending staggered processing at Monery or ultimate export for incineration in Germany or other outlets.

The new EU rules for the Destruct Scheme stipulate that factories can only slaughter cattle for the scheme if they are satisfied that all Purchase for Destruction material can be properly disposed of on the day of slaughter according to the strict guidelines circulated to meat factories and published exclusively in last week's Journal.

This means that because of the shortage of SRM processing capacity the Department has to limit the factory daily cull by the capacity of the SRM processing availability on hands whether at Monery or through approved storage.

"Quota"

In effect the factories are being given a cull "quota" with slaughtering for the cull depending on the amount of SRM storage/rendering capacity available in any given week.

This week Monery By-Products advised the Department that it was not in a position to render SRM material from this week's cull because of the build-up in meat and bonemeal stocks at Crossdoney over recent weeks.

SRM from this week's cull had to be frozen and stored at centres designated by the Department until arrangements can be made either for processing at Monery or for export to Germany or another EU country for incineration.

Monery hopes to be back taking some SRM from the cull next week.

EPA lacking

The Environmental Protection Agency which has never been slow to crack the whip at farmers and meat factories over environmental issues has been found to be sadly wanting in the present crisis.

The Agency has been sitting on three additional applications for SRM licenses for several months - from Ronans of Clonmel, Munster Proteins in Waterford, owned by the Goodman Group and Premier Proteins in Ballinasloe, owned by the IAWS.

However they have not yet sanctioned any new licences despite the fact that they have approved both Munster Proteins and Premier Proteins for draft licences which is the first step in the licensing process.

Ronans originally sought an SRM licence when Ivan Yates was Minister for Agriculture. Munster Proteins applied for a licence last year. Premier lodged their application when it was clear that Monery was going to be under huge pressure.

The lack of response from the EPA has been mind-boggling. Spokesmen have been suggesting that it will be at least three months before another plant has met all the criteria necessary for the issuing of another licence.

By that time we will be half way into the six month initial period fixed by the Commission for the cull and there will be serious national political and waste management problems to be addressed.