Co-op and mart bosses are warning that urgent solutions are needed to deal with the growing number of dairy bull calves in the country.

Co-op leaders, ICOS, Teagasc and the IFA have this week highlighted the risk of relying on live exports and slaughter to cope with high numbers of dairy bull calves.

It is understood that new rules reducing the number of calves per export lorry are being assessed ahead of spring 2020, which could ramp up the costs and pressure on live export capacity. Dairygold boss Jim Woulfe said his co-op and consumers have a “zero-tolerance approach to animal welfare issues, especially around dairy bull calves”.

We are going down this road whether we like it or not

Dairygold co-op chair John O’Gorman referred to UK retailer and Danish co-op rules which dictate that calves must stay on farms for a minimum eight weeks and only go to registered beef farms.

“We are going down this road whether we like it or not,” O’Gorman said at the second of four IFA-hosted calf welfare events in Cork on Wednesday.

Carbery and Glanbia also have their bull calf policies under review.

In Cavan on Tuesday, Teagasc head of dairy Pat Dillon admitted that the industry had not considered the increased numbers of calves when planning for dairy expansion. He said expansion has resulted in significant increases in dairy calves and the live export and slaughter of calves.

There were calls from farmers in Cork to remove barriers to sexed semen availability.

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