Exporters have temporarily ceased buying weanlings this week on the back of increased concerns around the health of Irish weanlings.
They say they can’t take the risk anymore on buying unvaccinated weanlings and are asking farmers to step up activity in relation to dosing and vaccination.
The move to stay out of marts this week has been received with a mixed reaction.
Some farmers fully support their calls for increased vaccination with many willing to vaccinate weanlings ahead of sale.
Others have criticised the move saying it’s too late to be talking about vaccination this year and it should be addressed next year.
Out in force
The big question on everybody’s lips is will the exporter boycott have an effect on the weanling trade.
Talking to mart managers yesterday, it doesn’t seem to be having a huge impact on the trade with farmers out in force buying weanlings in a number of sales yesterday.
They did say that a lot more farmers are looking for vaccination status and dosing status to be announced by the auctioneer.
The live exporting company Anglo East Limited is still buying and were active in a number of marts over the last few days.
Elphin mart had a big show of heifer calves at Monday evening’s sale and the trade was on a par with where it was the previous week and maybe even better in some cases.
Weanlings
Top-quality heifer weanlings in the 300-400kg weight bracket came in at €6.88/kg last night with average heifers in the same weight bracket coming in at 5.96/kg.
Top call of the sale went to a Limousin heifer calf weighing 445kg and selling for €4,400 (€9.89/kg).
Manorhamilton also seen a lively trade for heifer calves on Monday with a lot of farmer activity.
Roscommon mart
Meanwhile, Roscommon mart released a statement yesterday outlining its views on the current standoff by exporters.
It said: “Roscommon mart welcomes the recent engagement between Animal Health Ireland and some Irish cattle exporters. However, we are of the view that this interaction should have taken place much earlier so that any change in requirements for the presentation of weanlings to marts could have been communicated to farmers in advance of the busy sales season.
"It's unfortunate that any action could not have been postponed until all potential solutions had been explored.”
Roscommon mart will hold a special show and sale of weanlings today, Tuesday, at 4pm.
Kilkenny mart and Balla mart will also hold special weanling sales are also holding sales.
See farmersjournal.ie for updates on the mart trade around the country.