EU Proposal on calf transportation. NO MOVE UNDER 35DAYS

Why breed them in the first place?

This has always intrigued me . Surely producing a large number of calves in a short period of time is a huge risk from so many perspectives-disease outbreak , herd restriction , boat not sailing , farmer illness etc . The calves seem to have to be out the gate as soon as possible . If you produce the calves why would you not have to have the facilities and labour to at least give them a good rearing ?

That's likely where things are going. What's the solution?

Thought we were supposed to be in a single market with free movement of goods. Or do these rules not apply to farmers only every other sector of society. Think it might be in breach of EU treaty.

The free movement of goods can be restricted in accordance with Article 36 TFEU on "justified grounds", including the protection of health and life of humans, animals or plants.

What do you mean?

Lol I wasn't aware that was a thing. I'm a troll because I cited you the law you mistakenly interpreted? DM me and I'll give you my mobile number and Eircode since you asked so politely

You're welcome to read the treaties yourself if you're so concerned.

A few questions,

Is there an opportunity to raise the calves here for the veal market, I can't see why not and I'm not talking about rose beef but proper Veal done exactly the same or not better than on the continent?

Would dairy farmers consider going back to British Friesian cows and cross them with the Angus or Hereford Bull like what was done years ago to produce a better quality beef calf?

How much roughly is it costing those Veal producers on the continent to buy Irish calves landed to the door?

Beef processing here was originally started to counter the monopoly of the live export to England on prices, its swung the other way now where live export is the only way to provide competition to the processors. Having spoken to vets before apparently the the bigger stressor on calves is the loading and and unloading, during transport they tend to be very settled.

Agree with alps working on the 42 day tb movement restrictions allows more flexibility, 21 to 28 days wouldn't be a massive issue either. Most calves leave here between the 4 to 6 weeks anyway, rarely anything goes before the 4 unless the regular farmer buyer takes some to complete a group and he only lives 15 minutes away.

It might be prudent for some kind of initiative to build a few large veal rearing centres dotted around the dairy areas. The writing is on the wall re live calf exports and the industry needs some bit of positive news…dairy is fast losing social credibility without having to go killing fresh born calves.

Thing is, calves in transport as as happy as if they were at home in a deep straw bed, but there’s a tribe of tree huggers out there that are determined to shut it down…and it’d add fuel to fire is you explained to them that by stopping live exports that they’re condemning thousands of calves to an early death…!

They are some who say that the calf is a waste product of dairying.

That's a bit harsh but there is truth in it.

There was a veal unit looked at in Ireland years back, deemed not viable or near it.

I cannot understand how it could be more efficient to produce the Veal on the continent as apposed to here. We should be able to go all the way to the packet that goes onto the shelves of the supermarket for less than what they can do. I've seen calf shippers outbid locals for calves, and they are not giving the calves away for free to the Dutch or Germans, so what is it that makes us noncompetitive?