The Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) has called for up to 25 people to be allowed at mart sales as the sector continues to grapple with tougher Level 5 restrictions

ICMSA president Pat McCormack said it was difficult to see how marts should be different to other essential services as long as recommended safety guidelines were observed.

“We’re just conscious that this is traditionally a very busy period for weanling producers when competition for cattle is critical, and we think that if their trade could be facilitated, subject, of course, to observance of all COVID-19 guidelines, then that would be a step in the right direction,” McCormack said.

Concerns

McCormack pointed out that the farmers concerned might only have one opportunity to make the required margin on their stock.

“It’s obviously going to be a decision for the relevant Government departments, but ICMSA believes that we could have up to 25 persons physically at the mart and still be comfortably in a situation where no one is within two or three metres of anyone else.

“We don’t that would be too difficult so could we not look at this?” the ICMSA president asked.

Safety

McCormack stressed he was reluctant to comment on area where medical experts have given an opinion, but asked how 25 people in a ventilated area such as a mart were any more exposed than 25 people in a supermarket.

“There are farmers out there who just don’t have either the broadband or IT facilities and I think we should look at facilitating them to attend their local marts, if at all possible,” he concluded.

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