Bóthar, the Irish international charity that provides the gift of livestock as a means of long-term development aid, has launched its annual Calf Donation Appeal.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal , Bóthar chief operating officer Niamh Mulqueen, said the charity is ready to start collecting the first of their annual donation target of 30 dairy heifer calves.

She said dairy heifer calves which are over five weeks of age and of Friesian breeding are suitable for donation.

In calf

Mulqueen described how the dairy heifers donated by Irish farmers this spring will be reared through to next year, put in calf and exported to the countries in need in the autumn of 2023, at approximately 18 months of age.

She said individual heifers are provided to farming families in the developing world which have undertaken training with Bóthar in the period before the animals arrive.

Mulqueen said the heifer donations support Bóthar’s objective of enabling families and communities to overcome hunger and poverty in a sustainable way through specialising in improved livestock production and support-related training in the community.

Kosovo

Bóthar also exported 22 two-year-old in-calf Irish dairy heifers to Kosovo, eastern Europe on Tuesday through Rosslare Europort.

The charity’s latest exports come after 54 in-calf Irish dairy heifers and 130 goats were transported in December and November 2021 respectively.

Mulqueen said the heifers and goats were donated by individual farmers and Bóthar support groups from across Ireland.

Tuesday’s dairy heifers have travelled by boat to France and will be transported across the continent to their new recipient families.

Donating

Any farmer interested in donating dairy heifer calves this spring can email Niamh Mulqueen at niamh@bothar.ie or free phone 1800 268 463.