Pork export crisis grows
IRELAND - MEP Jim Allister has expressed alarm that exports of Northern Ireland pigmeat continue to be blocked, despite the province being recognised as a Foot and Mouth-free region.

Glanbia to switch pig plant to Roscrea?
IRELAND - Management at Glanbia Meats in Offaly, which was destroyed by a fire at the weekend, have met with workers privately to discuss the possibility of the plant being switched to another location.

Probe after pig plant fire leaves 280 jobs in doubt
IRELAND - A total of 280 staff at a pig processing plant gutted by fire in Edenderry, Co Offaly, yesterday were later issued with protective notices.

EU meeting to discuss ban on exports
IRELAND - Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer is to press his EU counterparts to continue the North's exemption from the ban on meat and dairy exports following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK.

Minister sanctions set-aside for animal feed purposes
IRELAND - Mary Coughlan TD, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has sanctioned the use of set-aside land for grazing with immediate effect.

Wendy’s Strengthens Animal Welfare Guidelines
DUBLIN - Fast-food restaurant chain Wendy’s International, Inc. has strengthened its animal welfare guidelines. It is now giving preferential buying power to pork and chicken suppliers who improve systems for humane animal welfare.

New rules for cattle and pig dealers
IREALND - New legislation for cattle and pig dealers has been adopted this week by the Department of Agriculture and Food.

IFA call on consumers to be aware of quality assurance logo
IRELAND - IFA Pigs and Pigmeat Chairman Michael Maguire has called on consumers to become more aware of the Quality Assurance logo.

Global Feed Company Announces 20% Increase in Revenues
IRELAND - Global animal health company Alltech announced its end-of-year results for 2006. Revenue for the year-end was $303 million, up 20% from 2005.

Coughlan Welcomes Generous Package of Measures for Farmers in Budget 2007
IRELAND - The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan T.D., today welcomed the provisions in Budget 2007.

EcoSecurities logs 22 pig farm methane projects
DUBLIN - EcoSecurities has registered 22 projects in Mexico and the Philippines that will burn methane from pig waste to generate carbon credits rich countries can use to meet Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions targets.

Irish Farmers spending 99% of time to earn 6% of income
IRELAND - The Teagasc farm income survey, which has shown that farmers are spending 99% of their time earning one twentieth on their income, highlights the Government’s failure to improve returns from our prime food produce, according to Fine Gael Agriculture...

Farm incomes only 73% of average industrial wage, says Teagasc
IRELAND - Farm incomes increased on average by 44.4 per cent in 2005 to €22,459 per farm, according to the Teagasc National Farm Survey. Average Family Farm Income was €15,557 in 2004.

Glanbia Profits Steady
IRELAND - In the first half of 2006, Glanbia’s revenue for pork, dairy, agrifood, and nutritionals fell Euro 3.3 million to Euro 922.8 million compared to Euro 926.1 million in 2005.

Food safety experts launch battle against E. coli bacteria
IRELAND - Food safety experts are meeting in Dublin, Ireland this week to discuss international standards they hope will cut back on the rising number of infections caused by the deadly enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) bacteria.