As farmers grow increasingly concerned about the spread of coronavirus on their farms, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said the need for physical on-farm inspections was “under review”.

Speaking on RTÉ’s CountryWide, the minister said his Department had issued revised protocol to all staff involved with inspections.

“I think it’s important we carry out a minimum level of inspections commensurate with our legal obligations to the European Union,” he said.

Some 5% of farms are inspected annually and the minister pointed out that stopping inspections could be a “double-edged sword”, as many inspections were part of an overall quality assurance check that ensured trade continuity.

Marts

The minister also spoke about new mart restrictions that have come in place over the past week.

He said marts “have to comply” with recommendations that outline that outside and inside gatherings should have limited numbers.

“We have Department staff in those marts for other reasons but obviously we are keeping an eye on how they operate in this context,” he said.

Calf trade

He went on to point out that it was vital to keep marts open to keep the calf trade running during the busy spring calving season.

Some farmers fear the trade of calves to the continent could be affected and the minister conceded that coronavirus had caused issues on the Spanish border.

However, he said the issues had been resolved and the calf trade would continue.

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