ICOS is to lead a delegation of farm organisations to meet lairage owners in France next week in advance of next spring’s calf export season. Ray Doyle, ICOS livestock executive, said it will be joined by the IFA and ICMSA on the trip to Cherbourg to meet the owners of the main Pignot lairage and the second, smaller, facility.

“This is a multi-agency approach to ensure that we can be made aware of any potential pinch points next spring and take action now,” Doyle explained.

New limits on stocking density in calf export lorries will impose a sizeable reduction in lorry capacity, so careful co-ordination of lorries will be required to maximise the movement of calves at the peak demand time.

Doyle called on the Department of Agriculture to take the lead on co-ordinating export lorries per week.

“It will have to be led by the Department, to ensure that not all exporters are trying to send all their lorries out in the same week,” he said.

Conference

An ICOS conference in Co Kildare today (Thursday) will highlight calf welfare and climate change priorities for the co-op movement.