The Libyan government has issued veterinary health certificates for Irish cattle exports to the north-African country, it was announced today, Friday November 30.

The agreement between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Libyan National Center of Animal health, will allow for the export of breeding, fattening and slaughter cattle.

This will mean an end to the previous system of health checks, were animals were certified on a load-by-load basis.

The two countries also reached an agreement whereby the age of cattle that could be exported will be raised from 24 to 30 months, meaning exporters can sell a wider range of animals.

Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said of the new arrangement: “Having an agreed health cert for breeding cattle provides much more clarity for exporters.”

The agreement comes after representatives from Libya visited Ireland in August, at the invitation of the department here.

“During their visit here, my officials accompanied the delegation on visits to a beef farm, a dairy farm and a slaughter plant, where the high standards of the operators, and the official controls applied by my department, were demonstrated,” said Creed.

Creed added that the agreement with Libya is part of a department effort to find new markets for Irish products, and he also highlighted that live exports have increased by 30% this year, compared with the first 11 months of 2017.

In other export news, a boatload of bulls will leave Ireland destined for Libya in approximately two weeks; the consignment of bulls – Friesians, Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and continentals – has been organised by Cork-based exporting company, Curzon Livestock.

Approximately 1,750 animals – weighing between 400kg and 460kg – will be exported on a livestock-carrying vessel departing from Co. Cork.