merrion street

The  Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue T.D.,  and  Minister of State with responsibility for Market Development Martin Heydon T.D., together with Bord Bia and Department officials, will  meet with representatives from the Dutch livestock sector [next week – 25 March].

Minister McConalogue commented ahead of the meeting,  “The Netherlands and Ireland have a long-standing and mutually beneficial trading relationship in the export of high-quality calves. This virtual meeting, facilitated by Bord Bia’s Dutch office, aims to enable all parties to work together to ensure continued trade in healthy Irish calves to the Dutch market. We will further emphasise Ireland’s commitment to ensuring and enforcing the highest standards of animal welfare for calves during transport.”

Minister Heydon added “This meeting will build on the existing dialogue which my Department and Bord Bia have developed with the Dutch livestock sector. It is vital to ensure that the health and welfare of calves continues to be the top priority for all involved in this trade.”

In addition to next week’s meeting, Ministers McConalogue and Heydon, along with Bord Bia, held a virtual meeting [today – 18 March] with a key Spanish livestock business, as part of a series of trade engagements around St Patrick’s Day.

Bord Bia CEO Tara McCarthy added: “The Dutch and Spanish markets are our most important markets for calf exports and continued engagement with buyers, importers and finishers is important to facilitate on-going smooth trade. For calf exports, it is important that the health and welfare of calves is guaranteed on-farm and through Bord Bia’s Sustainable Beef and Dairy Schemes, we can offer proof to new and existing customers of the high standards of animal husbandry and calf welfare on Quality Assured Irish farms.”