A poultry farmer who last week announced she was having to give up her egg business says she is disappointed by the approach of officials.

Jackie Faragher’s operation, based at Ballaseyre, Andreas, is to close after 27 years. She sold her eggs to customers all over the north.

When the business started, they flew birds in but freight shipping firm Mezeron started to transport pullets instead about 15 years ago.

The bird flu epidemic led to Mezeron asking the Department of the Environment, Food and Agriculture about any restrictions.

It was only then that the company discovered that it didn’t have the correct importation licence.

‘I know there’s rules and regulations and hoops to go through,’ Jackie said. ‘But, with one more sailing to get the birds here, we could have probably kept going until they’d sorted out some sort of licence.

‘What we’ve ended up with now is three hen houses with old birds in. We should have young birds, middle-aged birds and old birds – a continuous rolling stock.’

The old ones, which stop laying eggs, are replaced by younger ones.

Usually Jackie brings in 250 to 300 birds at a time and has around 750 birds at any one time in her hen houses.

Mezeron was bringing the birds to Ramsey via Glasson Dock, Lancashire.

Jackie said using the Steam Packet would have been uneconomic because it would cost the same to bring in 1,000 birds as 250, which is what some bigger poultry farmers can do. She would also need a new vehicle.

‘I’m disappointed that the department hasn’t been more active. But they have said to me there would be no guarantee that Mezeron would get a licence.

‘I cannot wait forever to get birds. I need them now.

‘When the hens are eating more than they are laying that’ll be the end of Faragher’s Free Range Eggs.’

She said in all the time that she had been using the Mezeron service there had never been any problems.

‘We’ve never lost any birds coming that way,’ she said. ‘We’ve never had any health issues.’

The family has been farming at Ballaseyre for more than 70 years. Husband Leslie farms cattle and sheep.

‘It’s sad that we’re going to lose another Manx family-run business,’ she said.

‘All of the government’s publicity is “Freedom to Flourish”, “Keep Mann Farming”, “Thanks for Choosing Manx”. But if they don’t allow us to produce the product, people cannot buy it.

‘Freedom to Flourish is their favourite. It’s Freedom to Flounder really. I don’t want to have a go at the department. But I am disappointed by its approach.

‘You can have a work permit in 24 hours for someone to come in from the moon but they cannot look at the timescale to look at an importation licence to keep a few important little businesses afloat.

‘I think they’re letting the Isle of Man slip through their fingers.

‘Radcliffe’s has gone. We’re going. I think we could the first of many.’