Farming News - ICSA calls for urgent action as weanling prices fall by up to €350 per head
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ICSA calls for urgent action as weanling prices fall by up to €350 per head
ICSA Suckler chair Eoin Ryan has said that the loss of live export demand is hitting weanling prices hard, with some farmers now getting up to €350 per head less than last year. "Losing €300 to €350 on a weanling compared with last year is a huge hit to a suckler farmer's income. It costs more than ever to breed and rear these cattle, yet farmers are getting considerably less when they sell them. With fewer live export outlets available, farmers are losing out and we cannot stand by and let this continue," he said.
Bord Bia export figures show that overall cattle exports were down by 32,513 head, or 10%, by 10 October compared with the same period last year. Within that total, weanling exports were down by almost 10,000 head, a drop of 25%.
Mr Ryan said the reduction in live export buying was having a direct effect on weanling prices. "The live export trade has been an important outlet for Irish weanlings, particularly into North African markets. The disruption to exports to Algeria has come at a very bad time. Exporters are now estimated to have between 5,000 and 10,000 weanlings waiting for a market. We need to get trade with Algeria moving again and find other markets for these cattle."
He said, "When cattle that would otherwise have been exported are left in Ireland, they have to find a buyer here. That puts more pressure on an already difficult market. Suckler farmers are losing income they simply cannot afford to lose. They are also spending more on animal health, including vaccination against pneumonia and bluetongue. These are additional costs, but farmers still need to get a price that reflects what it costs to produce their cattle."
Mr Ryan said the Department of Agriculture must make every effort to restore trade with Algeria and ensure that other export opportunities are not lost. "We also need to look at opportunities in markets such as Morocco and other North African countries. The Department must work to resolve veterinary and market access issues, while Bord Bia needs to help exporters find new buyers and develop alternative markets."
He said, "Live exports are not just about having somewhere else to send cattle. They are about maintaining competition and giving farmers a choice when selling their stock. Suckler farmers cannot keep producing quality cattle if the markets available to them are shrinking and the prices they receive are falling so sharply. The Department and Bord Bia need to protect the markets we have, get disrupted trade moving again and find new buyers. Farmers need to know there will be a market for their cattle and that the price they receive will give them a return for the work and money they put into producing them."