There are concerns a buyer in Holland will terminate a contract which sees 4,000 Irish calves exported to the mainland weekly, Roscommon-Galway Independent Michael Fitzmaurice has said.

The comments came while speaking at the committee on agriculture on Tuesday, where Fitzmaurice warned that the loss of the market will create further difficulties for exporters post-Brexit.

Also speaking at the meeting was Bord Bia's Padraig Brennan, who warned that a challenged veal market will add to difficulties in exporting of Irish calves in spring 2021.

Bord Bia has confirmed in a statement to the Irish Farmers Journal that there is no suggestion that any importer was going to stop purchasing Irish calves next Spring.

Alternative routes

The comments came as IFA president Tim Cullinan confirmed at the previous sitting of the committee on agriculture that Teagasc is set to fly 900 calves to Belgium next spring in its first charter flight trial.

The first flight will be made to Ostend, Belgium, in March, consisting of unweaned calves aged between two and six weeks of age, with each calf weighing between 30kg and 50kg.

This story was updated on 16 December.

900 calves to fly to Belgium next spring

Concerns Dutch buyer of 4,000 Irish calves weekly will axe contract -Fitzmaurice

Bord Bia has warned that a challenged veal market will add to difficulties in exporting of Irish calves in spring 2021 post-Brexit.