Ireland taps into new markets for calf sales

This is evident from the latest figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (DAFM), which were reported by the Irish trade magazine Agriland. To date, 194,301 calves have been sold from Irish dairy farming to parties abroad. Compared to last year, this is a decrease of 4 percent. 27 percent fewer calves went to the Netherlands. In the first thirty weeks of 2023, 105,913 calves went from Ireland to the Netherlands, this year that number is only 77,416. The Netherlands is therefore still the most important export country for Irish calves. Due to the decline in the number of calves sent to the Netherlands, more calves have gone to other European countries. More calves went to Spain in particular in the first thirty weeks; 69,286 in total. Last year there were 53,787, an increase of 29 percent. The figures already give a good idea of the 2024 total, as most calves are transported abroad in the first half of the year due to the seasonal calving season in Ireland. In ...