The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland has arranged for the slaughter of thousands of pigs on welfare grounds following a build-up of unsaleable stock.
It said that from today it would arrange for the humane destruction and disposal, at government expense, of pigs which farmers reported as experiencing welfare problems. There was an excess of pigs which were growing too fat and becoming unsaleable.
The Ulster Farmers' Union claimed that there was a backlog of 30,000 pigs since the Lovell and Christmas pig-processing plant burned down in Ballymoney in June. That plant processed 13,000 pigs weekly, of which 9,000 were produced in the North and the rest imported from the Republic.
"We are moving now to prevent a welfare problem which will arise from overcrowding at units, lack of feed or aggression which arises as pigs mature," a Department spokesman said.
He said pigs in the North were normally slaughtered at five months when they weigh 70kg. When they were kept longer the factories no longer wanted them. "Farmers are under space pressure and the need to feed animals which they cannot sell. We want to move now to prevent welfare problems arising," he said.
He said that the Northern farmers would not be paid for the loss of their pigs because EU rules would not allow this. But they would benefit from higher export subsidies agreed by Brussels.
The build-up of stock in the Republic had eased somewhat by the introduction of Saturday slaughtering. Last Saturday more than 3,000 pigs were processed, reducing the 10,000-pig surplus in the Republic. Killing will take place this Saturday also.
Later today the Irish Farmers' Association will meet the major banks seeking flexibility for farmers who are experiencing difficulties because of the crisis.