The news this week that the vast majority of Ireland’s live exporters have come together to boycott mart sales next week will be a disappointment to many. The weanling trade has been the good news story of 2025, with some exceptional prices being paid for top-quality weanlings over the last number of months.

Over 24,000 farmers applied last week for the National Beef Welfare scheme, which has mandatory meal feeding and optional vaccination included that is taken up by a lot of applicants, so there is progress being made on reducing stress around weaning. According to exporters, huge problems remain.

There has been a mixed reaction in mart circles. Some mart managers have said they have done their best to encourage farmers to have calves vaccinated for respiratory disease and are asking the question what more can they do?

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More have planned to have sales that will only sell vaccinated calves, another sign that they are willing to do all they can to promote best practice. Will there be an impact on price? A lot of mart managers are saying that exporters have been a lot quieter in recent weeks and that most of the buying at the moment is being done by farmers.

There have been 34,080 weanlings exported up until 20 September 2025, an average of just under 900 weanlings a week leaving the country. The weanling trade is currently tracking €900-€1,000/head over where we were this time last year, so farmers don’t want to see anything jeopardising those prices in the one year where decent margins are achievable.

For suckler farmers producing weanlings, the next month is their harvest for many. What happens the farmers that are vaccinating their weanlings and presenting them for sale next week?

They have done everything that was asked of them, but likely won’t be able to realise the true value of their weanlings if the exporters aren’t around the ring. Surely there is a better way – sitting down and discussing the issues with farmers, vets, marts, the Department of Agriculture and industry stakeholders would be a better way to resolve issues and develop a plan going forward that works for everybody. The likelihood is that this won’t be solved in a week.

Exporters say the cost is just too big to run the risk of losing an animal and they argue that the vaccination cost is a small outlay compared to the current value of 300-400 weanlings – valued between €2,000-€2,500 at the top end. Multiply this by 100 weanlings in an exporter’s lairage and you have €250,000 worth of stock in a shed, a massive risk if things go wrong and weanlings get sick.

The customer also needs to be thought of. Sick Irish weanlings in a shed in Italy or Spain won’t instil confidence to come back and purchase more weanlings next year.

It brings back into play our lack of progress in tackling IBR in the country. Mention IBR to any farmer buying weanlings and you will send a shiver down their spine. The lack of any programme or planned programme will see Ireland locked out of our biggest market for Irish calves from 1 July 2026.

Research has been carried out on commercial farms and pilot IBR surveillance programmes, yet there has been stalemate when it comes to actioning a national IBR eradication programme.

Exporters say they want healthy, vaccinated weanlings, but what proof will be required for the mart sale? Will a farmer’s word be enough? Will they have to produce a receipt, or will the vet have to certify that the vaccination has been given to the weanlings?

All different propositions with very different farmer costs. Some exporters have indicated in the past that they would be willing to pay for the vaccination programme if proven to be completed correctly.

We are entering into one of the busiest times of the year for weanling sales and it’s a time for level heads and a plan that will work for all.