Knackery operators are to escalate their action in a dispute with the Department of Agriculture over financial supports under the Fallen Animal Scheme.

Changes to the scheme were announced by the Department on Tuesday evening, setting the maximum level a farmer could be charged for the collection of an animal.

The changes have angered the Animal Collector’s Association (ACA), which had already planned strike action for Wednesday, when they would not collect animals from farms but would take delivered animals.

Now its members plan to close their gates fully to farmers on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the ACA told the Irish Farmers Journal that the Fallen Animal Scheme amendment from the Department had already been rejected by knackeries.

The association also said it had not been contacted before the scheme amendment was announced.

“The Department seems to think that costs have not gone up. There’s no cap on our rendering costs or insurance. Now we have a cap on our income and at those rates the business is simply not sustainable,” the spokesperson said.

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