Granard will be the first mart to hold a sale identifying weanlings as antibiotic- and GM-free, in its special weanling show and sale on Monday 18 September.

The weanlings will be eligible for finishing by KK Club farmers who produce cattle for slaughter for the giant Italian retailer Coop Italia. The weanlings are also eligible for direct live export to Italy for finishing in feedlots there on behalf of Coop.

A number of other marts will do a trial run of identifying weanlings over coming days, including Carrigallen on Saturday 9 September and Carnaross Mart next Monday.

Low rates of antibiotics in Ireland

From January 2018, all Coop Italia beef will be guaranteed as whole of life antibiotic-free. It plans to source more cattle from Ireland because use of antibiotics here is lower than in other EU member state.

Up to 30,000 cattle are finished by KK Club farmers annually for processing for Coop and up to 5,000 weanlings are exported to Italy for finishing there for Coop.

Coop already guarantees that all its beef is from cattle raised without GM feed.

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