Small artisan meat producers in the Shannonside Northern Sound region says hundreds of jobs are at stake if a dispute between the county councils and the FSAI is not resolved.
It centres on funding for veterinary inspections of smaller slaughterhouses which are carried out by local authority vets who businesses say help them in their development as well as overseeing regulatory standards.
The FSAI will only approve funding of 6.6 million euro for the continuation of the current contract, however Chief Executives say they need an extra €1.2 million euro to cover increased costs.
The current contract runs out on November 30th and having rolled it on three times already this year, the CCMA stating they will not continue to carry it over once more.
Small food producers in this region say hundreds of jobs are at risk if this is not resolved - Louis Herterich of Herterich's Artisan Butchers in Longford is appealing to the government to appoint a mediator.
