THE BSE crisis worsened last night with the laying off of over 2,500 workers from the Republic's nine rendering plants, which have shut down because there is no outlet for the bone meal they process from meat factory offal.
A spokesman for the renderers reaffirmed last night that the nine plants would not accept offal from factories today, an action which will precipitate a swift shutdown of all Irish meat and poultry processing plants.
This could lead to further layoffs at meat slaughtering plants, where nearly 3,000 workers are already on protective notice because of the drop in demand for beef both at home and on the international markets.
While there had been an up-surge in demand for white meat, pork and chicken, and for spring lamb, the action of the renderers in closing their plants could cripple the industry before the end of this week.
Yesterday the IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, warned that fresh meat and poultry could become unobtainable by next week end. He claimed the crisis was jeopardising 100,000 jobs on, farms and 30,000 more in industry.
Mr Donnelly said the State was facing an economic crisis and called on the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, to introduce emergency measures today to prevent the total shutdown of the meat industry.
"With no plan of action to manage Ireland's biggest industrial crisis in living memory, the Government appears to be paralysed. Farmers are angry and disillusioned at the pathetically inadequate response by the Government," he said.
The IFA is demanding the setting up of a ministerial task force, led by the Taoiseach a ministerial and diplomatic offensive to secure the reopening of non EU, markets to Irish meat products, and an effective EU intervention scheme.
It also wants increased EU live stock premium payments, a publicity campaign to help reestablish consumer confidence in beef and interim measures to keep the rendering industry operational.
A spokesman for the Minister for Agriculture confirmed that Mr Yates would be having a meeting this afternoon with members of the Federation of Irish Renderers. Later in the day he planned to meet representatives of the meat plants and the farming organisations.
Mr Yates said last night that he was giving top priority to the problems faced by the rendering industry.
A Department spokesman added "The Minister will reporting to his Cabinet colleagues tomorrow in an effort to find a solution to this serious problem."
A Fianna Fail delegation which arrived back in Dublin from Tehran yesterday expressed confidence that Ireland's £45 million beef trade with Iran could soon be resumed.
Meanwhile, there were no moves yesterday to unload the 1,608 Irish cattle still on board the Galloway Express, which remains anchored off the Egyptian port of Alexandria.