Sir, - As a veterinary surgeon, I wish to give my support to the protesting farmers. It is the role of the inspectors to ensure that meat passed by them is fit for human consumption by checking for disease and condemning all or part of a diseased carcass. To avoid conflict of interest and any suggestion that undue pressure could ever be put upon these inspectors by those with vested commercial interests - i.e. the meat industry - not to condemn diseased meat which would otherwise have a high value, it is essential that inspection procedures be centrally funded. Self-regulation cannot ever be countenanced in areas of vital public interest and safety such as this.
However, as one farmer put it, the imposition of these extra fees was only the straw which broke to camel's back. It is the absolutely incredible behaviour of the meat industry over the last several years which has led to the current action. I have witnessed first-hand the ruination of beef farming as a viable, stand-alone enterprise due to the absolutely unbelievable prices offered to farmers for their produce. Not alone are no other producers in Ireland expected to offer a product or service at a cost at which they lose money, but no other industry is expected to make this loss while the purchaser of their product makes such incredible profits from selling on the fruits of their labour. It is about time the meat industry got a taste of its own medicine, and it's about time the IFA got its act together and stood up for its members against the big guns taking advantage of them. - Yours, etc.,
Alan Rossiter, Cashel, Co Tipperary.