Calls have been made for the current TB testing exemption for calves up to 120 days-old to be made permanent post-Covid.

The calls were made by the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society earlier this week.

At yesterday’s (Monday, April 19) meeting of the calf welfare group, ICOS requested a permanent change by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to allow calves up to 120 days-old to be freely traded without the necessity for TB testing.

Commenting on the matter, Ray Doyle, livestock and environmental services executive for ICOS, said:

“With ongoing dairy herd expansion and the continuing trade of dairy bred calves, it will be a positive development to continue with this exemption," the ICOS executive added.

“For example, some farmers may expand their calf-rearing facilities to bring calves from the minimum trading age of 10 days, right up to weaning at a possible 70 days or so, and not have to test animals.

"This has a major economic benefit and also reduces stresses on animals and pressure on farmers.

Doyle noted that this spring has seen "very positive mart trade" of great quality calves, adding that this has been supported by the exemption to test within 42 days.

"When the pressure of having to sell before an animal reaches this age is not there, then animal welfare is the real winner, in addition to improved returns for farmers where the seller obtains better prices and the purchasing farmer receives a more robust animal," he argued.

Continuing, he said:

“Live shipping of calves has many impediments including pressure from NGOs [non-governmental organisations], weather conditions and space on boats," he claimed.

"All of these issues will translate into more and more calves needing to find farms within Ireland. We need to assist this growth in home trade as much as possible with practical measures,” Doyle concluded.