Fallen-sheep collections have been suspended by knackeries in Ireland amid an escalating dispute with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) over the future of the Fallen Animal Scheme.
The Animal Collectors’ Association (ACA) said its affiliated operators would no longer collect fallen sheep and horses from this week. The association also said knackeries would stop notifying DAFM about animal deaths occurring on farms.
The action follows the expiry of the scheme on 30 September. Since 19 October, the ACA said, fallen sheep collected by participating operators have not been prepared and presented to DAFM veterinary staff for sampling for scrapie. That creates a disruption to an established part of Ireland’s animal-health surveillance arrangements, although the dispute is between the department and the collection operators rather than a newly reported disease outbreak.
Collection and surveillance affected
The ACA said it had put forward a business case before the scheme ended. It argued that the proposal offered ways to maintain the service while limiting the increase in charges faced by farmers. The association said operators were unable to continue absorbing higher operating costs without financial support through a workable scheme.
“The Fallen Animal Scheme is an important element of Ireland’s livestock infrastructure, through which department funding provides support for farmer access to fallen animal collections and protects animal health.”
That statement was issued by a DAFM spokesperson, who said the department had been negotiating with the ACA for several months. The department’s stated aim is to agree a replacement arrangement that supports farmers while providing value for taxpayers.
The dispute has therefore affected several linked services:
- collection of fallen sheep and horses from farms by ACA-affiliated operators;
- notification to DAFM of on-farm animal deaths by knackeries; and
- preparation and presentation of fallen sheep for veterinary sampling for scrapie.
Calls for a new framework
The ACA described fallen-animal collection as an environmental and biosecurity service for Irish agriculture. It called on DAFM to return with what it described as a meaningful proposal that would protect the collection infrastructure without transferring additional costs to farmers.
DAFM said discussions were continuing. The department also described the scheme as an important part of Ireland’s livestock infrastructure, linking support for access to collections with the protection of animal health.
For sheep producers, the immediate issue is the availability of a route for dealing with fallen stock and ensuring that required disease-monitoring processes can take place. The developments are in Ireland, but the dispute highlights the dependence of livestock sectors on reliable collection, notification and surveillance systems. Farmers dealing with a fallen animal should follow the current instructions of DAFM and speak to their own vet or adviser about animal-health and reporting requirements.
