Further EU aid for Irish pig farmers
The European Union has agreed to provide further aid for Irish farmers affected by the recent dioxin contamination of pork.
Last week, the EU authorised subsidies for private storage to allow for up to 30,000 tonnes of pigmeat to be stored for up to six months, with subsidy rates varying by cut of meat. That scheme is worth a maximum 13.9 million euros ($20 million).
Now, member states have backed a match-fund another scheme to finance the slaughter of animals blocked on farms that had used contaminated animal feed, as well as the purchase of certain pork stocks. This co-financing means that for every €1 spent in Ireland, Brussels will also provide €1.
Meanwhile the Food Safety Authority has said that further tests carried out on four beef samples, which were last week found to be contaminated, have found dioxin contamination in line with the results from pork samples.
The authority said while the levels detected are above legal limits, the risk to public health is extremely low and consumers should not be concerned. Retailers are not required to take any action.
Related Website
• Food Safety Authority
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