The ongoing stand-off between vets working in meat factories and the Department of Agriculture must be solved today before serious damage is done to farm incomes, according to the IFA national treasurer Tim Cullinan.

"It's an issue that's affecting all sectors but the pig industry in particular is facing decimation if this continues," Cullinan told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Ongoing issues

There have been ongoing issues over the official status of vets working in factories over a number of years, but before Christmas tensions escalated and vets began operating on a work-to-rule basis.

This effectively cut the number of shifts they operated on and created a go-slow in a number of factories.

Pig processing plant, Rosderra Meats, was particularly hard hit, as were another of other plants.

"Pig feed prices have gone up by 40%," Cullinan said.

"Pig farmers now have to carry extra pigs with more piglets expected on many farms."

It is understood that Veterinary Ireland and the Department are meeting today and Cullinan has stressed that Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed must resolve the issue today.

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Vet and Department stand-off continues