Calls for new taskforce to focus on future of live exports
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has called for a dedicated taskforce to be established to safeguard the future of live exports.
This follows a meeting of livestock exporters, farm organisations and farmers on Saturday (August 15) in response to the decision of Brittany Ferries to stop transporting livestock.
The live exports meeting was organised by Independent Ireland.
Sean McNamara, president of ICSA, said it wants to see a live exports taskforce established and this is backed up by many of the stakeholders who attended the meeting.
He said: “It is not enough for department officials to monitor the situation. We need an action plan, and we need to act on it.
“We need to immediately identify alternative shipping capacity and make sure the infrastructure is in place before the animals are ready to move.”
The ICSA president also warned that "if we wait until cattle are ready to go, we have waited too long".
He is calling for "practical issues, including sourcing new boats, getting the timing of shipments right and having enough lairage capacity at the destination" to address livestock export concerns.
Brittany Ferries
According to McNamara the loss of Brittany Ferries means less capacity and less competition for Irish livestock exports, which he described as a “serious concern” for farmers.
“The autumn weanling trade is getting going now and we need to know that there is enough capacity to get cattle to their markets when they need to go.
“The value of live exports cannot be measured only by the number of animals put on a boat. The existence of an alternative market affects the value of every animal sold in Ireland.
“If we lose that competition, farmers can lose out on the price they get for their cattle," he added.
McNamara said that capacity and infrastructure need to be in place for next spring’s calf export season.
He added: “The work needs to start now.
"We cannot wait until next spring to discover that we do not have the capacity to move the cattle.
“The taskforce needs to be established now, with all stakeholders represented.”
