HOPES were rising in Ireland yesterday that the scare over the discovery of dioxin in pig feed from a mill in Co Carlow was being well handled, but the ramifications for the industry will still be considerable.
While most of the pork, bacon and processed meat imported into the UK is sourced in Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, Ireland is also a substantial supplier.
According to HM Customs and Revenue, in the first nine moths of this year the UK i
mported 302,026 tonnes of pork.
Of that, Ireland supplied 28,712 tonnes. Imports of bacon and ham in the same period amounted to 212,526, of which Ireland's share was 9,881 tonnes.
And of the roughly 85,000 tonnes of sausages imported this year, 13,000 tonnes would normally have come from Ireland, though the total will be affected by this week's scare.
In addition there is considerable cross border trade in live pigs between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Up to the end of September 295,521 young pigs had been exported from Eire
Pig farmers in Ireland had already been under severe pressure this year and the Irish Farmers' Association reckons that the sector was only profitable for a few short months in the middle of the year.
The IFA says that, based on figures from the Teagasc advisory service, the typical Irish pig farmer is currently losing more than 9 (£7.65) per finished animal.
The implications of a prolonged ban on exports are potentially disastrous for the Irish pig industry, according to Alyn Smith MEP, the sole Scot on the EU's agricultural committee, who was in Brussels yesterday.
He said: "This scare is awful news, and just what the pig sector does not need after a disastrous few years. My heart goes out to them.
"It must be stressed that all the science says there is little to no risk to people, but the scale of this recall, some three months of national production, does indicate how seriously the Irish are taking this, and rightly so.
"There are a number of steps which we need to take now to ensure consumer safety and, crucially, consumer confidence.
"The border controls, which have already come into operation are, I am told, working well and the job of tracing the pig meat and products is underway.
"I will be in touch with European Commission officials to discuss how the restrictions are working and will ensure that Scottish Government officials, as well as Food Standards Agency personnel, are kept in the loop.
"Of course, history has shown that most crises are the responsibility of a few sloppy individuals. Should the ongoing criminal investigations find that anyone was irresponsible, then I would hope they will be hung out to dry for inflicting this consumer crisis on the entire sector."
Supermarkets in the UK have cleared their shelves of all pig meat products from Ireland and that raises the question of liability. It is possible that retailers may seek compensation from their suppliers who then may take action against the feed mill – but it will be a legal minefield.
Similarly, if farmers are compelled to keep pigs on their units for a prolonged period before the industry is given the all clear, the costs involved will be a huge burden.
Some of the pig farmers also have considerable numbers of cattle, which might possibly have been reared on feed from the same mill. It seems that, provided no cattle have been slaughtered recently, producers will face little in the way of trading restrictions.
