Officials from the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are in Ireland to conduct an on-site fact-finding mission for exports from Ireland to Turkey.

The team from the Turkish department is focusing on the technical aspects of live animal exports as well as animal semen exports. A part of the visit, they met Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.

The minister was in Turkey in early March as part of a trade mission aimed at reopening the Turkish market to live Irish cattle. Turkey suspended all live exports earlier this year.

Just over 3,500 weanling bulls left Ireland for Turkey at the end of April

“I assured my Turkish colleague that there is significant interest from industry in resuming that trade,” Minister Creed said at the time.

Bulls are currently being shipped to Turkey as part of contracts signed before the ban was announced.

Just over 3,500 weanling bulls left Ireland for Turkey at the end of April.

Under a Knowledge Transfer programme, Turkish ministry officials are learning about how the Department here administers EU animal welfare laws.

Read more

In pictures: weanling bulls sail for Turkey

Meath firm to export 3,500 bulls to Turkey