Mart managers are bracing for the impact of a planned boycott of weanling sales by live exporters next week.
Exporters say they are increasingly concerned about the health status of the weanlings they are purchasing and want farmers to ramp up vaccination and dosing of their animals.
Roscommon-based live exporter Derek Maxwell told the Irish Farmers Journal: “We have no choice but to take this action next week.”
He said the risk of animals falling ill at export yards or en route to continental markets is “huge, for not only us but also for our customers”.
“Farmers will have to start vaccinating and dosing weanlings if we are to hold on to our customers. A lorry load of weanlings is coming into €150,000 this year and we have to do everything we can to keep them healthy.”
While it’s not clear yet what impact the boycott will have on weanling numbers or prices next week, exporters typically account for 900 to 1,000 weekly purchases of weanlings at this time of year.
Trade disruption
ICOS livestock executive Ray Doyle said: “It is unfortunate that there is a threat of trade disruption at a time of peak throughput.”
He added: “This message should have been conveyed to farmers months ago and not now, when there is such a tight timeline to bring about immediate changes.”
Some mart managers have been encouraging farmers to vaccinate weanlings, and are organising special sales of vaccinated-only weanlings.
SHARING OPTIONS