The news this week that Brittany Ferries will cease transporting livestock on their ferries from September 2026 is a concern. Their exit means there will be just one provider for livestock exports from Ireland to Europe from September 2026 onwards.

Irish Ferries were by far the largest provider of export slots, but there is a worry that there won’t be enough capacity in the system when it comes to the 2027 peak period of calf exports.

There is a Calf Stakeholder group convened by the Department of Agriculture which meet on a regular basis with a number of key industry stakeholders participating, but to date we have seen very few deliverables from this group. There is time but swift action is needed to avert issues in the future.

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