Ireland-Pig slaughter continues over Xmas period on 100,00 pigs contaminated with dioxins.

IRELAND.

PIG SLAUGHTER CONTINUES.

It is going to be a very bleak Xmas for many Irish farmers this year along with the meat packing industry.

The slaughter is under way of the 100,000 live pigs on farms that have to be destroyed.

Arrangements still have to be made for the 4,000 head of contaminated cattle on 21 farms that also have to be destroyed.

Cormac Healy of Meat Industry Ireland, said "that although cattle prices for December are 10% above the prices in 2007. we are extremely concerned about the situation we are facing for 2009".

The euro is now so close to the price of the pound, Irish beef is far from as competitive it needs to be for the English market, which takes 55% of Irish beef produced.

The current rate is 94 pence to one euro which is 30% devaluation in sterling from 2007.Added to the adverse publicity over the dioxins in meat and links to cancer, things are looking rather grim.

There have been so many health scares and meat recalls, since the BSE of 1996, there is a lack of public confidence in the meat industry on a global basis. Whether be right or wrong it’s a marketing nightmare.

The full terms and conditions of the compensation were published in Dublin on Xmas Eve, so the Irish Government are doing their part to try and restore some confidence.

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