Dioxin case confirms crisis of confidence in Agriculture Minister
12 December 2008
Jim Allister MEP has said the response by DARD and the FSA this week to the dioxin situation has highlighted the crisis of confidence that exists within the farming community towards Farm Minister Michelle Gildernew.
The MEP said,
“Those whose livelihoods depended on the reaction by the Northern Ireland authorities to the dioxin situation as it developed this week must still be reeling with horror. Questions as to why Northern Ireland pork was taken off the shelves before traceability checks were carried out, which would have confirmed that no local pig herds had used contaminated feed, are indeed prevalent in farming circles.”
“While public safety has to be the primary consideration in this type of case, farmers are undoubtedly questioning who in Government was representing their interests in terms of minimising the impact this scare has had on trade of Northern Ireland pork, at what is a key time of the year. The failure by DARD to communicate and liaise with pig processors did little to contain trading difficulties experienced by a number of local companies.”
“Poor communications seem to feature as a key indictment against DARD in the round, including the failure of the Department to alert fellow Departments to the situation. Furthermore, the DARD Minister’s inability to distinguish between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as separate entities has needlessly tainted Ulster Pork and Bacon, something which has been deeply damaging in marketing terms, and could have been avoided.”
“A Minister who was hitherto deemed incompetent before this crisis, has served to create a crisis of confidence in her inability or unwillingness to defend Northern Ireland’s agricultural interests.”
ENDS
