Concerns for the 2024 calf trade are high after a meeting of the Department of Agriculture’s calf stakeholder forum, which discussed new EU calf transport proposals.

The proposals look to limit calf journeys over 100km to calves older than five weeks of age, which would rule out the possibility of dairy farmers selling young calves in marts to buyers over 100km away.

The cost of transporting calves to the continent could double to €110/head as space requirements and the removal of the third decks would see only 44 calves leaving per lorry, down from 99 currently.

IFA livestock chair Brendan Golden warned the new rules would land a “huge blow” to the calf trade, while outgoing ICMSA president Pat McCormack stated that the changes would leave calf exports “totally unviable”.