Livestock carrying vessel – the Sarah M – which had been scheduled to transport up to 1,200 bulls and bullocks to Algeria this Friday, May 15 – remains in a holding position off the Waterford coast.

Earlier this week, Roundwood Park Livestock – a Wicklow-based company – announced that its planned cattle shipment to the North African country had been cancelled after issues emerged regarding health certificate requirements that had been set out by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at a meeting between both parties last weekend.

Roundwood Park Livestock Limited confirmed the cancellation of the shipment – and its reasons on why the decision had been reached – in a statement to AgriLand (details below).

Concluding the statement the exporter noted that: “The ship is now diverted to France from where the Algerian contract will be serviced for now.”

However, more than 48 hours later, it appears that the boat remains in Irish waters, according to satellite data from the Marine Traffic Live Ships map.

Image source: Marine Traffic Live Ships

The boat has been in the vicinity of Waterford Port for approximately 10 days at this stage.

It is understood that some efforts are being made to gauge interest among other live cattle exporters that may be in a position to fill the Algerian contract.

However, this possibility is considered quite unlikely given the time-frame that would be needed to process the necessary paperwork and shipping conditions – plus, considerations would have to be given to any changes in cattle pricing during the intervening period.

Meanwhile, questions also remain on the daily mounting costs of holding the boat off the Waterford coastline.

Roundwood Park Livestock has been contacted for an update on the matter, however a response had not been received by the time this article was published.

Additionally, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture was not in a position to offer further comment on the situation at this time.

Exporter position

In its statement last Monday, May 11, the exporter said: “Roundwood Park Livestock Limited regrets to announce that the scheduled livestock departure to Algeria next Friday has had to be cancelled.

“At a meeting between the company and Department of Agriculture Officials on Saturday, May 9, the department set a condition which the company insists is simply impossible to meet.

“The condition required that farmers dose all cattle for export with a particular medication at the latest yesterday, Sunday [May] 10.

“They refused to allow dosing at the mart prior to loading.

“The impossibility of complying with this condition for a medication which is not readily available and where outlets are closed on Sundays, is self-evident.

“Contrary to a [previous] statement issued to AgriLand [story here] by a spokesperson for the minister that ‘all points were agreed to by the exporter’, there was no agreement on this condition and the statement is misleading.

“It is unfortunate no one from Roundwood Park Livestock Limited was contacted prior to the statement being issued on behalf of the minister.

“The ship is now diverted to France from where the Algerian contract will be serviced for now,” the statement concluded.

Department position

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also issued a statement on the matter earlier this week. It outlined the following:

“The department  has been advised by the promoter of a proposed shipment of livestock to Algeria, due to take place this Friday [May 15], has been postponed.

“The department met with the exporter and his associates on Saturday at which time the processes and protocols necessary to enable the export proceed were agreed.

The exporter reverted on Monday morning indicating that the export would not proceed on this coming Friday as it was not possible for him to have sufficient quantity of compliant animals for export assembled by then.

The department said that it will work with all exporters in the expectation that shipments of livestock to Algeria will take place in the future.

“The department has been working hard in developing the livestock trade with Algeria, these efforts included a trade visit to the country in February 2020.

“Minister Creed has been a strong supporter of live exports throughout his tenure as minister which has seen live exports double during his time in office.”

It was stated that live export trade opportunities now exist with several third countries including: Libya; Turkey; Egypt; Tunisia; Algeria; Lebanon; Morocco; Russia; and Kazakhstan.

“Having acquired access to these markets the department works to ensure that all exports have veterinary certification in accordance with each importing country’s specific market requirements.

“Since the beginning of this year, 9,763 animals were successfully exported to third country market,” the statement concluded.