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John & Kevin Greene Ahascragh Ltd spring into action e collection of fallen animals is a specialised job that sees operators adhering to stringent regulations and legislation.
he disposal of category one material is the single largest issue facing the knackery industry on a daily basis. It is a complex industry that requires every ‘T’ to be crossed and every ‘I’ to be dotted before a business can perform its duties. The legislation regarding the collection of fallen animals has forced ‘rogue operators’ to cease trading much to the delight of those that do everything by the book. One such company is Ballinasloe based John & Kevin Greene Ahascragh Ltd who have been working in this industry for the past 30 years. John & Kevin Greene Ahascragh Ltd is a family run business that was established by John Greene and his wife Anne. These days their son Kevin and daughter Aileen, who is the general manager of the business are on board and it is the latter who speaks to Irish Trucker about the services they provide and she also tells us of the ever changing face of the fallen animal collection service. With a fleet of nine lorries on the road, specialising in the fallen stock collection, Greene’s have grown the business over the years and their catchment area now includes Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath mainly. “My father started the business 30 years ago. He had worked as a lorry driver for a Hide Factory before deciding to go out on his own and from humble beginnings, he built up the business to what it is today,” said Aileen. “We specialise in the collection of fallen animals mostly from farmers. The animals
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are brought back to our plant, which is located six miles outside Ballinasloe where the cattle are de-hided and then the carcass is brought to Dublin By-Products, Dunlavin, Co Wicklow.” Greene’s is geared up to remove fallen stock from any farm within twenty four hours after a request having been received. All fallen stock is delivered back to base before proceeding to Wicklow where the dead animals are rendered. Of the fleet of nine trucks, MAN, DAF and Scania are the preferred choice for this family run business and Aileen revealed that these specialised vehicles are well maintained. “The fleet is maintained to the highest standards and can access all farm locations. They would have hydraulic cranes on them for the collections and we change the bodies every few years,” added Aileen. Of course, John & Kevin Greene Ahascragh Ltd wouldn’t be half the business it is without a reliable work force and Aileen revealed that they are very
Greene’s Animal Service is based in Ballinasloe
fortunate in that regard. “We have a very loyal staff, some of whom have been with us for many years now. They are on first name terms with our customers and they have been sympathetic with the farmers’ needs over the years. “Our aim is to provide local farmers with a competitive priced and reliable collection service. The collection charges are extremely competitive across the board particularly where larger, mature animals are concerned. “All our staff are trained to remove all fallen stock in a professional manner with the minimum of fuss and disturbance to the farmers involved. Dead animals represent an unwanted cost on every farm and it is our aim to make the removal cost effective and a straight forward process. A few years back, there was a subsidy available for fallen animal collection, but that has been restricted to only animals over forty eight months by the Department of Agriculture. “That was a good incentive by the
John & Kevin Greene Ahascragh Ltd. Lowville, Ahascragh, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway Tel: 090-9688606
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