Irish cattle exporters can only watch in frustration as Turkish authorities draw up new controls on cattle imports from South America. This is after it emerged that 4,000 bulls imported from Brazil by Turkey’s state buying agency were infected with anthrax.

“It should be our opportunity to export more weanlings there but currency problems have scuppered the trade, for now anyway,” one exporter told The Dealer.

Reports from Turkey are that importation of the cattle was rushed to be in time for the big Eid al-Adha religious festival in August, but lab tests hadn’t been completed.

Anthrax is dangerous to humans and, tragically, it has been reported that one child died after being infected and over 100 have been hospitalised.