Teagasc is planning to charter an aircraft to fly Irish calves to continental Europe next spring. .

The option of flying calves to European markets is being closely considered due to potential Brexit disruption to normal shipping routes, the Irish Farmers Journal reported last week.

Teagasc has started the search for a livestock air operator to put on a trial flight between 1 March and 30 April 2021. The trial flight will carry of unweaned calves between two and six weeks old and will be from an Irish airport to an airport in the Netherlands or Belgium.

Shipping calves by land and sea is estimated to cost in the region of €35/head

There is no specific tender price, but Teagasc outlined the need for “an economical option” that will closely mimic stocking densities on existing commercial calf flights.

Shipping calves by land and sea is estimated to cost in the region of €35/head. Although faster, flying calves could cost double this amount.

Ideally, a company that manages over 50 livestock air charters per year is sought, along with a “professional flying stockman” with a minimum of five years’ livestock flying experience.

Moove Project

The trial flight is part of a joint initiative with the Department of Agriculture called the Moove Project, which is examining the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to EU destinations.

Researchers and vets want to establish baseline data on the health, welfare, and behaviour of Irish calves moving by boat or plane. This data will then be used to inform best-practice from the point of view of calf welfare and environmental sustainability.

“International research has shown that long-distance transport per se does not seriously impact calf welfare, though sub-optimal feeding, watering and management strategies during transport will have an impact,” a Teagasc spokesperson said.

Read more

First calves to fly to Europe in March 2021

Irish calves could be flown into Europe