Quite a serious post today. Nearly three thousand live beef cattle left Ireland yesterday (Tuesday) for Libya by boat. It's supposed to be good news for the farming industry. I am not so sure. Yes it's good to have a cattle demand because the prices improve for the farmer. But what about the live animals? They are confined for their 8 days ship voyage and then handed over to the Libyans. What kindness will these animals receive at the hands of the Halal butchers? Will dear cattle mean dear replacements for the farmer/smallholder? People like myself who buy small cattle and raise them until they are big?
The EU law recognizes that animals are sentient beings:
"They can suffer and feel pain, and they can also enjoy a sense of well being."
The EEC subsidizes the live transport to none EEC countries to the tune of 9 Million. All because cattle are too expensive to finish in Europe and export in refrigerated containers.
What do you think folks? I think that farm animals should be killed in local slaughter works not transported miles and shipped to countries that kill animals by slitting their throats instead of stunning them.
I recently sold 2 of my cattle to a local butcher. He said he will buy all my cattle when they are ready and kill them locally in his slaughter works and sell their meat in his shop. Fair play to him.
Have a look at: Compassion In World Farming, I think it's time we showed some kindness to our farm animals, not exporting them just to make money.
Do you think the EEC will ever make organic farming the only kind of farming? I don't.
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Me neither
ReplyDeleteWe need to educate everyone in food production...and more importantly , food waste....
Grrrrrrrrr
Don't get me started
Yes John, and food miles.
ReplyDeleteYou're lucky to have a local butcher prepared to buy stock from local producers, just the way it used to be everywhere.
If you're not allowed to kill at home, this is the next best way, minimum travelling and distress to the beasts, and hopefully a swift humane despatch at the hands of a proper experienced butcher.
Everybody wins, fair price to the farmer, less stress to the beast which a butcher told me is essential for quality beef, local people can buy quality locally-reared meat knowing exactly where it came from.
The only losers are the tax collectors and their associated officers.
I could never understand the logic behind exporting live animals, it must make all kinds of sense to slaughter locally and export the carcases? Having seen the way some of these countries treat their people, I shudder to think how they treat animals.
Organic farming? Yes, but only when the oil runs out.
Or the profit-driven governments and corporations that rule our lives get a huge injection of common sense (about the same chance as pigs learning to fly)
Keeping unseasonally warm here.
Raggy cat back in, been out all day, it must have been warm.
Totally agree John. I also don't understand it when you see 'organic' meat and vegetables in plastic packaging. Perhaps there should be 'a shop local' campaign again? Would love to go organic but there's far too much paperwork and it's too expensive and there would be little demand here for it. I totally agree with the way the organic sector care for their animals welfare and use local slaughter works.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Thanks Cumbrian. I have always thought that pigs should be killed at home in the way that John Seymour describes. Where they are eating one minute and the next second they are in Heaven. It's much less stressful than having to load them in a trailer, starve them for the night in the abbatoir and then give them the stun gun.
ReplyDeleteAt least they get inspected by a vet before they are killed and samples are sent away for tests.
Butchers like mine also kill livestock for their owners. So there is nothing to stop a smallholding giving some meat away or using it to barter. No tax man or money involved.
Last year I wanted to post some of our bacon joints to a friend in England. The woman in the post office told us that we are not allowed to.
I think the day should come when everything is organic. Making it affordable for everybody.
Can't see it ever happening though.
One other thing comes to mind about the live exporting of farm animals. Is it ethical to deal with some countries or is it just:
"Show us your money."
Thanks Cumbrian.
So, you can't send bacon to UK?
ReplyDeleteUnlike nuclear waste.
No sun this morning, still warmish though.
Raggy cat in its usual fire-side position.
No you can't send bacon to the UK, Cumbrian. My Irish grandmother used to send us a turkey every Christmas, wrapped in brown paper. Perhaps I should ask the post office for some radioactive friendly envelopes? Crazy. You have give me an idea for a blog post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the holiday advice Cumbrian.
Dry here but cold. No excuse not to do some digging - sadly!
Thanks