Last week’s front-page story raised a few eyebrows. The concept of flying calves to Europe obviously piqued the interest of both farmers and non-farmers alike.

Funnily enough, for those who knew their farm-sector history or, like The Dealer, were around during the events, the proposal had a strong precedent. In fact, the flying of calves to the continent was a regular feature of the farm scene during the 1970s when thousands were exported by air each spring.

This trade was primarily to Italy and started in 1974 at the height of the cattle crisis when exports were viewed as a vital outlet for calves that were effectively unsaleable at home.

Cork Marts pioneered the air transport of calves to Italy in autumn 1974 when flights went out from Shannon Airport.

Golden Vale Marts soon joined in the act and exported almost 50,000 calves by air in 1975. Indeed, such was the importance of the trade that 130,000 head were exported by plane in 1978.

Although, it was estimated that the Italian outlet put a Ir£30 premium on calf prices by the end of the 1970s, the trade was not universally popular.

Cattle finishers and the factories argued that it made the raw material for the beef business scarce and dear, and they sought to have it closed down as a consequence.

The beef factories’ lobbying efforts bore fruit in 1979 when the then Minister for Agriculture Jim Gibbons introduced regulations which aimed to frustrate calf exports.

The minimum space required per calf on flights was increased by the Department of Agriculture from three square feet to four square feet, effectively cutting the maximum number of calves that could be carried per flight from 500 to around 370.

In addition, brucellosis checks which took three weeks were introduced. These forced exporters to hold and feed calves for up to a month before export, which increased costs and cut margins.

These restrictions were strongly opposed by the IFA and ICMSA, who accused the minister of interfering in the calf export business and successfully challenged the legality of the regulations in Brussels. However, Gibbons was unapologetic.

“We exported little or no calves at all before 1973, and the sooner we get back to that position the better for everyone in our beef industry.

“We need to finish all our calves, and more, if the industry is to grow as it should,” the Fianna Fáil minister maintained.

The minister was certainly in the beef factories’ corner.