Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2009
1070 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has assessed the impact which exclusive control of the rendering material from cattle processing plants can potentially have on the price of cattle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33937/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraEight plants have been approved in this country to render animal by-products (ABP) in accordance with the terms of Regulation (EC) 1774 of 2002. All of these plants operate under the supervision of my Department. Four of the plants are approved as Category 1 plants and can deal with all types of ABP, including specified risk material. The other four are Category 3 plants dealing with lower risk material. Meat plants also have the option, subject to authorization in accordance with regulatory requirements, of sending material for disposal outside this jurisdiction. During 2008 the eight rendering plants in this country took in 509,383 tonnes of raw ABP from meat plants and this was converted to 142,365 tonnes of meat and bonemeal (MBM) and 72,544 tonnes of tallow. It is my policy to encourage alternative disposal options for ABP, including MBM and tallow, with a view to maximizing added value.
The consequence of the ban on the use of MBM in animal feed, due to its association with the spread of BSE, was that MBM for some years had to be exported for incineration at significant cost. In recent years however increasing amounts of MBM have been put to beneficial use. For instance between 2006 and 2008 the proportion of MBM exported for incineration declined from 61% to 45%. During the same period export for technical use increased from 21% to 39%. MBM is also now being used as a co-fuel in the cement industry and Category 3 MBM is increasingly being used as an ingredient in fertiliser and in petfood. I am also aware of a number of proposals to use MBM as a fuel to generate electricity.
Tallow has a number of uses. Category 3 tallow can be used in animal feed and is also used by the pharmaceutical industry. Both Category 1 and Category 3 tallow can be used as boiler fuel and it is a valuable substitute for imported heavy-duty oil. The price charged for the disposal of material arising from the cattle processing industry is a matter for the market to decide but it is my belief that the beneficial uses of MBM and tallow which I have outlined above will help to keep down the cost of rendering for the cattle processing industry.
