DEAR EDITOR

Having read an article in the Irish Farmers Journal regarding the export of “beef” cattle to Scotland in the past, that is only part of the history of our business with Scottish farmers.

A number of livestock exporters exported various types of livestock to Scotland. Once an animal arrived in Scotland for slaughter, it became Scotch beef.

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At that time, we had no identification for Irish beef.

Eventually the number of cattle being exported for slaughter was affecting the “home” trade and the Scottish department introduced a rule that Irish cattle would have to spend three months in Scotland before they could be classified as Scotch beef.

Our breeding heifers formed the foundation of a large number of the top suckler herds in Scotland.

The majority of the heifers originated from the west of Ireland.

As Scotland was on a proper TB eradication scheme and as a number of Irish breeding heifers reacted to the TB test in Scotland, the Scottish Department of Agriculture introduced measures that made it almost impossible to purchase Irish heifers. That market almost collapsed.

We had a number of Irish exporters who sold livestock in the markets in Scotland.

Scottish farmers also did direct business with exporters.

Irish farmers played a major role in the popularity of Scottish livestock, because of the top-quality animals that we produced.

Our livestock was also sourced by other countries in an attempt to improve the quality of their livestock.

Boat loads of pedigree bulls were exported from these islands by a Scottish exporter to Argentina. Just one example.

What has happened in recent years?

A major decline in the quality of our beef because of the introduction of the Holstein breed.

We have people who have minimal practical experience of livestock farming lecturing us on how to breed quality livestock.

If these policies continue, livestock farming in Ireland will diminish further.

It is my opinion that little effort is being made to eradicate TB.

Farmers have very poor representation or we would not have anti-farmer measures being introduced presently.

Numbers of reactors will reduce but the areas affected will remain static.

Can the Department of Agriculture point out any area in Ireland that is TB free because of its policies over 70 years?