Cattle marts re-opened for business today after being closed for four months. The marts were closed due to the foot and mouth emergency. The move is a big step in the return to normality in farming following one of the biggest ever disruptions in the industry. It is a great relief to farmers who were unable to sell animals during the closure.
Livestock marts have been closed since late February, days after the first case of foot and mouth in Britain. For several weeks social, sporting and business activities in rural Ireland came to a virtual standstill. As a result of the nationwide battle against foot and mouth only one case of the disease was recorded in the Republic - on 22 March in Proleek, County Louth. The North has had four cases and there have been more than 1,700 cases in Britain.
Since Easter, there has been a gradual resumption of sporting and social activities. However, severe curbs have remained on the movement of livestock. However, this morning over a dozen cattle marts around the country will be in action again. This is a great relief of farmers who were unable to sell animals during the closure. The Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, said that though the marts are resuming, controls are being kept under review because cases are still being reported in Britain.
However, the IFA leader Tom Parlon said that the re-opening of marts represented a final step in the return to normality in the cattle business. He said that while the farming community bore the brunt of the stringent regulations the whole community, in particular rural business, had paid a heavy price - and this was appreciated by the farming sector.
Mr Parlon complimented the Government on their handing of the crisis, but he was now calling for the lifting of the final restrictions and bureaucracy which has been put in place. He also said that there should be a fundamental review of the importation of meat and livestock from countries where foot and mouth controls are inadequate.
The ICMSA leader Pat O'Rourke said that the re-opening marks a remarkable national achievement because the Republic had come through the greatest ever risk to livestock with just one reported case of foot and mouth. Mr O'Rourke said that the Government now has a formidable task in finding export outlets for half a million cattle before the end of the year. He said that now the battle against foot and mouth has been won "we should win the war by regaining and holding our valuable export markets".
