Ireland: New markets needed as calf trade with the Netherlands to end, says Scallan

One of the country’s leading calf buyers has warned that “new markets will be needed” for the Irish dairy calves exported to the Netherlands before the spring 2026 calving season. Wicklow Calf Company’s Seamus Scallan has said that the number of Irish calves sold to customers in the Netherlands to date this year has fallen by approximately 30%. The calf trader who supplies Irish calves to customers across mainland Europe, expects a further 30% drop in the number of Irish calves going to the Netherlands in 2025, and said the calf trade with the country will be completely finished by 2026. The Wicklow-based calf traders’ comments come following the announcement of ‘the Veal Future plan‘ which was presented to the Dutch Government recently. In 2023, the Netherlands was the strongest market for dairy male calves with 110,000 calves traded to the region, accounting for more than half of all Irish calf exports that year. Scallan said that that new Dutch regulations on sourcing calves ...