Rubber slats to benefit animal welfare

Beef producers might benefit financially if there was financial assistance available for the provision of rubber slats in their farm buildings.

A call has now been made that the provision of the rubber slats come under a popular safety scheme which farmers avail of.

The Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme or TAMS, as it is better know, encourages farmers to carry out safety measures on their holding and are given grant assistance to do so.

But according to Galway East TD Paul Connaughton the provision of rubber slats should fall under this TAMS Safety Scheme.

He said that research had proved that they account for better animal welfare. The Fine Gael Dail Deputy added that some retailers in Britain insist on buying cattle that have been housed on rubber as opposed to concrete.

Deputy Connaughton is now called for the provision of rubber slats to be included as a qualifying measure under the TAMS Safety Scheme.

“Such a measure would allow many small farmers across the West of Ireland to provide rubber slats for cattle, which would result in less lameness and better productivity.

“I believe that the inclusion of rubber slats as an animal welfare measure under TAMS would make excellent sense. It would incentivise the provision of such slats, which have proven animal welfare benefits, which in turn results in better productivity for the farmer.

“I know from speaking to industry representatives that large retailers in Britain now specify that the beef they buy must be from cattle housed on rubber, as opposed to concrete, slats.

“The inclusion of such a measure in TAMS would allow farmers in the West of Ireland to put plans in place for the provision of such slats and to reap the rewards in terms of animal welfare and productivity”, Deputy Connaughton added.

He has now taken the matter up with the Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and he will be urging him in coming weeks to include the provision of rubber slats under the TAMS scheme.

“Not alone would this benefit the cattle housed in sheds, but it would also benefit farm productivity and would aid job creation in many local businesses, such as Easy Fix in Ballinasloe, who provide rubber slats to farmers across the region”, he said.