Use of 5,000-head livestock ship for calves now in doubt
The use of a 5,000-head livestock vessel for carrying Irish calves to the Netherlands is now in serious doubt, apparently due to the unwillingness of the main calf exporters here to use it.
The MV Alondra was due to arrive at Waterford Port in April to take its first consignment of calves to the Netherlands.
It was envisaged that it would make 10 voyages directly to the Netherlands with calves this year with each consignment bringing calves for an agreed number of Dutch customers.
However, sources have indicated that Irish calf exporters had until the end of January to come to an arrangement with the vessel owners and the Dutch veal industry to transport calves on the vessel.
However, it is understood that the deadline passed without any agreement.
Currently, calves from Ireland are transported from here to the European continent on livestock road vehicles and commercial ferries destined for the French port of Cherbourg. This mode of calf transport is referred to as 'roll-on, roll-off'.
Agriland understands that, without agreement from Ireland's main calf exporters to use the MV Alondra, it will now not transport calves from Ireland to the Netherlands in 2025.
Instead, it is intended that the ship will be used to transport a variety of livestock to locations in north Africa and Spain. The vessel will be based out of Foynes Port in Limerick, rather than Waterford Port.
Reacting to the development that the ship will now, in all likelihood, not be used to transport calves to the Netherlands, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has said it is disappointed that the major calf exporters "did not commit to utilise the ship, which would have provided an additional transport option for 2025".
Denis Drennan, the president of the ICMSA, urged the exporters to engage further with the ship owners to ensure that the opportunity is not lost.
"In terms of delivering the calves to buyers in the continental EU, the envisaged ship would have provided a positive additional option to the existing 'roll-on, roll-off' service and would have provided the shippers with credible alternatives for the shipment of calves going forward," Drennan said.
"The ship itself looked very impressive and the general conditions and facilities that we saw were, frankly, as good as any of us had ever seen.
"We were very impressed, and we are disappointed that the service has not got up and running for 2025," the ICMSA president added.
"With the shipment of live animals at record levels in 2024, the ICMSA believes that the shippers should be exploring all transport options and we urge them to engage immediately and utilise the ship going forward," Drennan said.
