Mr. Fergal Byrne:

That market has tightened. Before the payment came in, we always grew the cover crop ourselves. I did not apply under ACRES this year, so this did not apply to me. We were using the crop as a very valuable asset for feeding our lambs. What happened did not stop the practice but just put a date on it. It involves jumping rather than having a free-flow product. We are part of the organic forum. At that forum, representatives of Bord Bia talking about lambs say you cannot get the markets because there is no free flow. We have put a balk in it ourselves through stopping the free flow of lambs. It is but one stopping of the free flow. The Senator knows that if he had to buy meal, it would cost €300 or €400 per tonne. Taking only €20 or €30 in profit on selling is just not going to work. You would be lucky to get away with a mortality rate of 3% or 4% in your sheep, even your store lambs. If you did not use Heptavac-P, it could be up to 15% as quick as lightning. It could happen over night. We have to look for more markets, even getting produce to America or somewhere else. I am aware Bord Bia says it works on this but it has to happen. It may be up to the factories and so forth. Alternatively, must the farmers do their own marketing of the lambs? I do not know that.