The proposals set out at the calf stakeholder forum on new age and weight limits for calf sales could be modified, added to, or removed – depending on the outcome of an EU animal transport regulation, ICOS director of livestock services Ray Doyle has said.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, he said that the draft regulation from the EU is due to be published next month and that it “will decide everything”.

It will contain the number of days in terms of the age at which calves can be moved and other parameters, he said.

On the proposals presented to the forum, he said that they are just “proposals for discussion”.

He said farmers have to breed “better calves, mind them”, and present them as being fit for sale.