Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said that he expects to be able to give pig farmers clarity on a potential emergency direct aid payment "within two weeks".

The Minister told an Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) meeting of over 120 farmers on Thursday evening that he had brought queries on the allowance permitted to member states to issue direct aid payments to their agricultural sector to his European counterparts last month and that he intends on doing so again in Strasbourg this weekend.

Direct aid payments are an area his Department has been “exploring” for some time, Minister McConalogue said.

“I am hopeful I am going to bring clarity to that in terms of the initial support within the next two weeks,” the Minister told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“Obviously, we have to work within the capacity we have. We have to work within state aid remits – that is something I will be seeking further movement from the Commission on. But in the short term, I am committed to doing as much as I can for the sector,” he said.

The EU situation

Minister McConalogue heard in a presentation delivered by IFA pig and poultry executive Sarah Hanley that pig farmers in other member states - including France, Belgium, Germany and Poland - had been in receipt of direct aid for some time.

“We have primarily only seen some of the member states introduce supports in the last short period of time – the past few weeks – and the other markets have been in this crisis for longer than we have,” the Minister stated.

Animal welfare

When asked by the Irish Farmers Journal if he had concerns for the animal welfare of finished pigs backed up on farms, with factories unable to slaughter all finished pigs due to staffing issues, the Minister stated that his Department did not see an immediate risk to animal welfare.

“No, listen, we always work with farmers at all stages. I know in relation to the processing sector we are working as well to ensure that from a staffing point of view, they have the permits they require to ensure processing at full capacity,” he said.

Earlier in the meeting, IFA animal health committee member and pig farmer Shane McAuliffe raised concerns over the welfare of pigs on farms, as strained processing capacities have limited the ability of farmers to move finished pigs to processors.

“We are bursting at the seams,” claimed McAuliffe, while mentioning the euthanasia of pigs in the UK in 2021 when processors had struggled to operate at full capacity.

Farmer fury

The Minister took questions from the crowd, which was compromised of over 120 pig farmers and industry stakeholders.

“Minister, you have come in here today and have given us nothing,” pig farmer Frank Brady said.

“You talk about what we are going to do tomorrow. The men is this room cannot feed their pigs tomorrow – they cannot feed their pigs.

“We want you to come into this room tonight and tell us something. Give us some hope that when we go to bed tonight and wake up tomorrow morning, there is something worth getting up for."