A disaster, no one knows what's coming next

The Cork town of Mitchelstown is hugely dependent on the Irish pigmeat sector.

Indeed, its traditional title of ’Cheese town’ from its famous cheddar plant, was rivalled over recent years by its booming pigmeat industry.

Four of the top nine pigmeat producers in Ireland are in the north Cork area -- some of these pig-producing farms are so big they have street signs to guide delivery lorries around.

Yesterday the crisis that now threatens to devastate the entire Irish pork industry was described by one trader as "the nail in the coffin" of the local economy.