LOCAL IMPACT:A LARGE-SCALE pig producer in Co Kerry said the pigmeat crisis could mean bankruptcy for processors as well as producers.
John Dwyer from near Killorglin said his pigs were not fed contaminated feed and no pig farm in Kerry had been affected but the system was now blocked up and there was huge worry among producers.
Farmers were unable to sell to factories in Munster because they had some 1,000 pigs in stock since Thursday. Until existing stocks were incinerated they would have to hold onto their pigs and feed them. The result was cashflow problems.
"Unless the Government puts a package in place for the processors the whole thing will go belly up. We are not asking for a package for every pig farmer, but there should be something for the nine restricted farmers and for the processors."
He said it was a "knife edge" situation as pigs were sent to the factory every week, not seasonally, as with lambs.