A ferry being examined by the Department of Agriculture this week would not be suitable for carrying specialist trucks of calves for export, the Irish Farmers Journal understands.
Other boats in the Stena fleet will now be looked at to see if they could stand in for the Horizon, which goes out of service next month for four weeks of refurbishment. The firm is hopeful that it will have a suitable boat available with sufficient freight capacity.
Meanwhile, Brittany Ferries has announced a new service from Ireland to Spain, but has no plans to carry livestock trucks on the route.
It will sail twice weekly from Cork to Santander from the end of April. Last year, an estimated 180 truckloads of cattle went from Ireland to Spain, but via Cherburg in France.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the IFA’s AGM this week that his officials were working on a solution to the loss of export capacity next month.
“We’re working through the issues as best we can,” he told farmers.
Brittany Ferries, which was set up by French farmers in the 1970s to carry agricultural freight, already operates a separate service from Cork to Roscoff, serving holidaymakers. The boat for the new Santander route will have more capacity for freight lorries.
None of the ships in the Brittany Ferries fleet carry livestock trucks, a spokesperson said.
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A ferry being examined by the Department of Agriculture this week would not be suitable for carrying specialist trucks of calves for export, the Irish Farmers Journal understands.
Other boats in the Stena fleet will now be looked at to see if they could stand in for the Horizon, which goes out of service next month for four weeks of refurbishment. The firm is hopeful that it will have a suitable boat available with sufficient freight capacity.
Meanwhile, Brittany Ferries has announced a new service from Ireland to Spain, but has no plans to carry livestock trucks on the route.
It will sail twice weekly from Cork to Santander from the end of April. Last year, an estimated 180 truckloads of cattle went from Ireland to Spain, but via Cherburg in France.
Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed told the IFA’s AGM this week that his officials were working on a solution to the loss of export capacity next month.
“We’re working through the issues as best we can,” he told farmers.
Brittany Ferries, which was set up by French farmers in the 1970s to carry agricultural freight, already operates a separate service from Cork to Roscoff, serving holidaymakers. The boat for the new Santander route will have more capacity for freight lorries.
None of the ships in the Brittany Ferries fleet carry livestock trucks, a spokesperson said.
Read more
Calf movement rules to be tightened
Beef calf registrations drop 24%
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