IRELAND-DEMAND FOR LIVE CATTLE.
With most of the EU bound by Bluetongue, demand for dairy cattle has moved to Ireland.
If Irish farmers had been ready for it, this trade could have been very significant.
Already, 600 in-calf Holstein heifers have been sold to Russia. Last week, buyers from Portugal were in Ireland and at least two other potential EU customers are expected to view herds here in the next couple of weeks, while there have also been enquiries from the Middle East for Irish dairy stock.
Tony Jackson, of Jackson Auctioneers in Wicklow, said enquiries are for pedigree or BSR grading-up pedigree.
Herds should be milk recording and the heifers should not be more than seven months pregnant.
Mr Jackson said that the customers are looking for high milk yields and this was ruling out a lot of potential Irish suppliers. A minimum herd average of 6,000 litres is needed for Russia and 8,000 litres for others.
Heifers bought for Russia have averaged €1,400/head, but markets buying from the 8,000-litre herds are paying €1,850/hd.
Meanwhile, the withdrawal of out-of-hours and Saturday Department inspection services from live export centres has damaged the live trade, according to shippers.
Operation
Most weanlings from Ireland going to the Continent have been shipped on Tuesdays and Saturdays and the smooth operation of this trade was dependent on Department inspectors being available on Saturdays, especially at the Lenehan yard in Stepaside, Dublin, which handles more than 50pc of animals exported.
A spokesman for the Lenehan yard has asked Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith to restore the essential Saturday service and for Department cutbacks to be made so they do not add inefficiency to the live shipping trade.
