Seán Brady, a pig farmer from Killucan, near Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, who has been supplying pigs to the Edenderry plant, said that margins were very tight at the present time and could not remain so.

"Pig farmers have rising feed prices and major problems dealing with the Nitrates Directive and the EPA requirements," he said.

Mr Brady, who employs three staff on his 650-sow unit, where he is helped by his children, said it was imperative that the Glanbia plant at Edenderry be rebuilt.

"My life has certainly been disrupted by the fire but I, like others, fear that it is too dangerous to have 50 per cent of the country's kill concentrated in one single plant," he said.

Another fire or a strike could completely disrupt the entire business and he and other Glanbia suppliers wanted a top-class plant built to replace the one that was destroyed.

"I have to say Glanbia put a fairly smooth system into place, but it has meant extra transport costs, extra time costs and other difficulties in my way," he said.

He said producers were working with the company to seek compensation for these additional costs involved.

He said producers also wanted a proper country-of-origin labelling system for pork because large quantities of pork which had been produced at standards lower than the Irish product were coming into the country.