The Irish Creamery and Milk Supplier Association (ICMSA) has criticised the veterinary medicine bill as “the latest in a long and depressing line of decisions”.

The bill was signed into law on Thursday 12 September, which the ICMSA believes will increase costs for farmers, but will not improve animal health.

Speaking after the announcement, association deputy president Eamon Carroll said that the changes in the law are unnecessary and unjustified.

“Every single 50/50 goes against farmers. Every time the Government has a chance to either give farmers a small break or load another expense on them, they choose the latter,” he said.

“What’s even more infuriating on this issue is that there’s no compelling reason to think that this will help towards better animal health or that there was any outstanding abuse of anti-parasitic medicines.”

‘Sold out’

The ICMSA had called for anti-parasitics to be available through licenced merchants, pharmacies and co-ops.

The decision to classify them as prescription only medicine has gone against farmers and the Minister has “sold out” farmers and their co-operatives to the veterinary lobby, according to the ICMSA.

“It will just look like a professional group saw a chance to corner a market at farmers’ expense and the Government was perfectly happy to let them do just that,” Carroll added.

“There were options available to the Minister that would have made the supply of anti-parasitic medicines convenient and more cost-efficient, while respecting the professionalism of farmers, for which this Government appears to have no regard.

“The Government has decided to take the option that is more expensive and inconvenient for the farmers, while - as time will show - failing to deliver more effective use of veterinary medicines.”

Review

Carroll also called on the Government to review the decision to protect farmers from the higher cost environment that will inevitably follow.

He said that farmers were “absolutely sick and tired of being treated as cash dispensers by professionals and service providers" and he said that the system "must be held accountable for decisions that seemed to have little or no object other than getting more money out of farmers”.