Calf exporters will have sufficient ferry boat capacity available to them for the peak of exports in February and March. This week, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine gave approval to a boat which will replace the Horizon when it goes off service at the end of next week.

The development has come just in time, with calf sales set to jump in size this week. All exporters were out this week buying at sales.

The replacement boat is in the Stena fleet and has been operating in the Mediterranean. It will arrive in Ireland in time to operate the firm’s Rosslare to Cherbourg sailing on Tuesday 20 February. It has been given initial clearance to carry 12 livestock trucks and drivers. However, it will be given clearance for additional livestock trailers if exporters make arrangements for drivers and lorry units to be available at Cherbourg to unload them.

The boat will maintain the three weekly sailings operating at present. In addition, exporters will continue to use Irish Ferries’ weekly sailing, on Saturdays, to France. The new boat will carry additional numbers of other freight loads as so-called “drop trailers” but it will not carry tourist cars or passengers.

IFA livestock chair Angus Woods said that with the increase in the dairy cow numbers and strong market demand in both the Netherlands and Spain, there is potential for significantly higher calf exports.

“So, the critical issue is that there must be no change in our ferry capacity to export calves.”

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