The Department of Agriculture was called on to more closely co-ordinate travel of calf lorries to Cherbourg on ferry sailings next spring at a meeting this week. This was proposed by representatives of ICOS and IFA to optimise use of lairage at Cherbourg and space on ferries. The Department already regulates calf exports on health, welfare and identification.

The meeting was organised by the newly formed Irish Livestock Stakeholders’ Association and attended by representatives from Teagasc, the Department of Agriculture, ICOS, Glanbia, the farm organisations and by a number of livestock exporters.

Stephan Arthur, vice chair of the IFA dairy committee, and Pat McCormack, president of ICMSA, said that if dairy farmers invested in additional sheds and feed to rear in calves then they would need to get the higher price from exporters that was seen last spring.

The chair of the meeting, Wicklow farmer James Hill, said that there was plenty of capacity in the EU veal industry to absorb all suitable Irish calves. “The dairy industry in the EU is shrinking, holding its own at best,” he said. “This will help us have markets for our calves. Veal producers in Europe require stock year in year out.”