Farmers personally care for the animals they have reared and want the best for them as they go to market, Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) livestock and environment executive Ray Doyle said speaking about live exports in Brussels this week.

Highlighting the importance of live animal transport for Ireland, Doyle stated that the European single market can provide equal opportunities for all member states, while at the same time prioritising optimum animal welfare standards which are also essential for the transport of live animals.

“These objectives aren’t mutually exclusive,” he told the conference in the European Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

Science

He argued that it is essential that facts, science and our absolute commitment to animal welfare should be recognised and underpin the capacity for live exports.

"We have all of the tools, resources and expertise to provide this in and from Ireland. This must be the cornerstone of discussions in agreeing the EU framework for animal transport.

“Farmers want and strive to have healthy, productive and profitable animals. They know this can’t be achieved without high welfare standards in the management and transport of bovine animals.

"More than that, they personally care for the animals they have reared and want the best for them as they go to market," he said.

Export value

Doyle cited Bord Bia figures where live exports reached over 286,000 animals in 2022 with a value of €170m.

“This is a vital outlet for Irish farmers and a very important source of healthy, high-quality animals for EU and non-EU countries, now and for the future.

“It’s not how long or how far the animal travels, it’s about the conditions in which it is transported and the impact, if any, that this has on its health and welfare, which determines the animal’s productivity and market return.

"Based on the economics alone, it’s in nobody’s interests for any animal not to have anything but the best possible transport arrangements," he said.

The Irish livestock industry, he said, prioritises the welfare of live cattle during international transportation and key measures have been implemented to guarantee their wellbeing.

Irish officials, he stressed, have taken the lead by assessing the fitness of all animals before loading, ensuring that only healthy and uninjured animals are transported.

Regular updates

Additionally, weather monitoring systems provide regular updates to all stakeholders involved in the transportation process.

Doyle added that to further enhance the competence of drivers responsible for cattle transportation, the validity of the driver certificate of competency has been reduced to three years, with a requirement to update knowledge on the latest best practices before renewal.

The conference was moderated by ICOS EU affairs manager Damien O’Reilly.

Other contributors included policy officer on animal welfare with DG Sante Stanislav Ralchev; CEO of the Danish animal transport company Viking Livestock Lars Kloster; and Marc Billet of the International Road Transport Union.