A meeting of the dairy forum took place on Wednesday with specific focus given to dairy calves and environmental sustainability.

The forum also received an update on international markets from Ornua and discussed developments on Brexit.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue stressed that further efforts to improve the beef quality of calves from the dairy herd were needed as a long-term sustainable goal.

I will resolutely and robustly defend the live export trade

He also stressed the need to ensure that the highest standards of animal welfare are always maintained on all farms and during transport.

“As Minister, I will resolutely and robustly defend the live export trade as it is a crucial aspect of the sector and we are best in class from farm level right through to export but we must continue to take a proactive approach to keeping our standards as high as possible.”

we must not lose sight of the end goal

Referencing the recently published Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 and the role of the agriculture sector in this regard, Minister McConalogue said: “There is no doubt that it will be challenging, however, we must not lose sight of the end goal.

“By transitioning the sector onto a more sustainable long-term platform, we can protect Irish dairy family farms for generations to come.”