A new regulation seeks to introduce a 4c per pig levy on every pig slaughtered or exported live to raise funding for Animal Health Ireland (AHI).

The Government has committed to provide €125,000 to fund AHI to undertake work in the pig sector under the condition this funding is matched by private industry. The levy, should it be introduced, will cover the €125,000 required, bringing total AHI pig funding to €250,000.

Speaking to members of the Oireachtas agriculture committee, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said the levy’s introduction was in the interest of the industry and that the IFA pig committee, industry and the Government were all in agreement.

Standards

Creed said it was imperative that the high standards of pig production in Ireland were maintained. He said the AHI had made an important contribution to the livestock sector with the BVD programmed alone delivering €85m to farmers. It is hoped funding for pig programmes delivered under the Animal Health Levies (Pigs) Regulations 2019 could replicate this progress.

A pig expert has been appointed to AHI and they will take up their post in September 2019, at the same time it is proposed the levy will be introduced. The levy would be collected through slaughter plants and Minister Creed confirmed there would be a mechanism to collect it on pigs sent to Northern Ireland for slaughter.

The funding will be ringfenced for the pig sector and the minister said some proposals included developing a producer database, honing in on lean management practices and welfare improvements.

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