Calf exports are down 3% on 2023 with almost 200,000 head exported this year, Seamus McMenamin, livestock sector manager with Bord Bia, has said.

Speaking at Dairy Day, he said there have been a number of big changes in the trade this year with an 18% decline in the number of dairy-sired bull calves in Ireland being one of the main ones.

This resulted in more beef-sired calves being purchased by Spanish and eastern European buyers. Calf sales to the Netherlands are back by 25% compared to last year and he put some of this down to the fact that Dutch buyers were trying to do without Irish calves but realised they needed the Irish calf.

“We receive excellent feedback on their health when they arrive and have reduced antibiotic use compared to calves from other countries.

“There’s plenty of research done to show Irish calves do well. Dutch farmers tell us they get 6% mortality on Dutch and German calves, while for Irish ones it’s 1%.”

The Dutch are in the advanced stages of claiming IBR-free status and as a result from January 2026, Irish calves will be closed from that market.