BYGONE DAYS: MPs call for more abattoirs to be built in Northern Ireland

Moving the second reading of the Exported Animals (Compensation) Bill, Mr Moore, Minister of Agriculture, said that the bill was the fifth in a series of measures dating back to 1928 which related to the establishment, maintenance and management of funds for the payment of compensation to the owners of cattle, sheep and pigs exported from Northern Ireland and slaughtered or detained under the authority of law at a port in Great Britain in consequence of an outbreak, or suspected outbreak, or apprehended danger, of foot and mouth disease.

The insurance scheme was being financed entirely by the owners of the cattle, sheep and pigs shipped to Great Britain and involved no charge or liability on the Exchequer.

The compensation fund stood at less than £5,000 and rested solely on the proceeds from the charges levied on the animals exported.

Mr Moore said that in view of the fact that the values of cattle, sheep and pigs had greatly increased in recent years it was proposed that the maximum amount of the compensation fund should be raised from the existing figure of £10,000 to £20.000, and also that the charges per animal should be doubled.

The current charges were as follows: Cattle, 2 1/2d per head; sheep 1/2d per head and pigs, 1d per head.

Mr Lyons (Unionist, North Tyrone) recalled that the Babington report on agriculture had recommended, in regard to the shipment of cattle, mainly with regards to fat stock, that they should be slaughtered and shipped as meat.

He said that one reason for that conclusion was that slaughtering would provide work for hundreds of Ulster people.

He commented: “It would mean the setting up of new abattoirs, but, at the same time, there would be the hides for the manufacture of shoe leather and the offals, which could be processed.”

He added that he thought that abattoirs should be provided by the government in Northern Ireland for the benefit of farmers and representatives of the Ministry of Food.

Lord Glentoran (Unionist, Bloomfield) supported Mr Lyons’s argument for a slaughtering organisation being set up by the government. It would give employment, he said.

Having referred to difficulties and delays in transport, Lord Glentoran said that sooner or later there would require to be cold storage facilities Britain for home killed meat, because the desire was for greater home production.

He commented “There might also need to be cold storage facilities in Northern Ireland so that the animals could be slaughtered and shipped when required.”

Mrs McNabb (Unionist, North Armagh), said that, owing to the work the ministry, much of the danger of foot and mouth disease had passed away.

She commented: “The minister said that all cattle shipped were intended for immediate slaughter.”

The second reading was agreed to.

UFU calls for lowering of Lough Neagh water levels

Members of the Ulster Farmers’ Union at an area conference in Portadown this week in 1952 unanimously passed a resolution calling upon the Ulster government to permanently lower the level of Lough Neagh by two feet in order to prevent the flooding of thousands of acres around it.

The temporary lowering of the Lough by two feet for a survey during the summer of 1951 had proved, it was stated, the great benefit its permanent lowering would have.

Mr R H Abraham said that in wet years he had seen men cut hay with scythes in top boots and mowing machines bogged in the mud. He noted that in 1951 no hay had been lost.

Mr Thomas Mathers said that the flooding affected 34,000 acres, some of which was excellent tillage land.

“Much valuable food was being lost,” said Mr Mathers.

Mr John Martin, deputy president of the union, said that the union would make a strong fight to have the levels of the lough lowered.

Meanwhile, Mr Richard Hayes, Moira, a member both of the Ulster Farmers’ Union and the Ulster Food Growers’ Association, urged the two bodies to unite in fighting for the growers’ interest.

Mr Martin said that the farming industry in Northern Ireland, taking it by and large, was In a very poor way.

Reports reaching the union had shown that farmers were selling their potatoes below the controlled price because they needed the money at once.

Ulster potatoes may go to the US

It was reported by the News Letter this week in 1951 that representations had been made to the Ministry of Food with regard to the shipment of Ulster ware potatoes to America and it was understood that the problem was “now under consideration”, the Minister of Agriculture (the Reverend R Moore) had told Mr McCullagh at Stormont.

Mr McCullagh had asked the tonnage seed potatoes cancelled by Mediterranean countries during recent weeks. He also pressed for an assurance that growers would be cleared of seed at seed prices this season.

Rev Moore said that he had heard that at least one prospective order might had been cancelled because of the unsettled situation in Egypt.

He said that he was not in a position to give the assurance asked for.

He said: “It has been the practice of the ministry to give every possible assistance in finding markets for Northern Ireland seed potatoes and, as a result, there was now a considerable demand abroad as well as in Great Britain.”

He added: “The selling season is not sufficiently far advanced to say yet what the prospects are of being able to sell all seed produced in Northern Ireland this season.”

Mr McCullagh suggested that orders totalling about 75,000 tons had been cancelled.

Mr Faulkner (Unionist, East Down) asked it was not a fact that the total seed produced and shipped from Northern Ireland during the past 12 months was somewhere In the region 117,000 tons.

Mr Moore said that it was impossible that orders to the extent mentioned by Mr McCullagh could have been cancelled.

He commented: “In fact, the total shipments outside the United Kingdom have never come anywhere In the region of the figure given. If the figure quoted had been 7,500 tons there might have been some substance in it.”

He added: “The selling season is not sufficiently far advanced to say yet what the prospects are of being able to sell all seed produced in Northern Ireland this season.”

Mr McCullagh suggested that orders totalling about 75,000 tons had been cancelled.

Mr Faulkner (Unionist, East Down) asked it was not a fact that the total seed produced and shipped from Northern Ireland during the past 12 months was somewhere In the region 117,000 tons.

Mr Moore said that it was impossible that orders to the extent mentioned by Mr McCullagh could have been cancelled.

He commented: “In fact, the total shipments outside the United Kingdom have never come anywhere In the region of the figure given. If the figure quoted had been 7,500 tons there might have been some substance in it.”