Support Irish Live Exports - Please Sign a Petition to Save Exports!

The Irish Livestock Stakeholders Association has launched a petition (https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-irish-exports) calling on the public to recognise the importance of live exports to farming communities and the Irish economy in general.

“Our aim is to bring Ireland to the next level within the live export of animals. We are more than aware that exports are essential for farming here in Ireland”

Kicked off by the Irish live exporters’ representative group last week, the petition has notched up almost 1,500 signatures at the time of publishing

The Irish Livestock Stakeholders Association have created this petition to help the general public recognise the importance of livestock exports to farmers, whether they are dairy or beef, regional communities, exporters and the Irish economy.

Live exports have continued to provide an income to farmers and create employment to thousands of people in regional Ireland in a time when many other areas of the rural economy have been affected. [A] ban of the trade would create problems both domestically and internationally.

The association highlighted that, from an international perspective, supporting Irish live exports means “supporting the continual development of world-leading animal welfare standards that Irish exporters and the Department of Agriculture have developed over decades”.

Pointing to the high welfare standards in place, the group claimed: “We now operate to the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

For animal welfare, this would be a huge step in the wrong direction. Other exporting countries will not have the same standards and practice implemented in Ireland.

The organisation also stressed the importance of live exports in providing competition in the marketplace for beef prices, stating: “A halt to exports will result in factories dictating beef prices.

“It is widely known that an industry where beef processors have the monopoly, exporting livestock is vital in ensuring price competition in the market place by providing an alternative outlet for farmers,” the group claimed.

Pushing back against campaigns calling for a ban on live trade, the organisation called for a “far more sensible approach to discussions and actions required”.

The Irish Livestock Stakeholders Association is a new association, formed by Seamus Scallan of Wicklow Calf Company, who has 40+ years of experience in the industry. He is joined by John Hallissey, director of JH Livestock Exports Ltd, Martin O'Neill, Director of M O'Neill Transport who is key player within the live transport of animals to the continent and many other important business men in Ireland who have the same aim: “ to promotes the welfare of the live export industry” with a core objective to achieve unity across all divisions of the sector. Its mission is to bring everyone together to “build, promote and protect” live exports.

This association might be new but have already made shockwaves in the export and livestock industries by outlining their concerns in an article on Agriland, over recent reports in relation to flying calves to Europe. In a statement given by Scallan,

“We believe farming organisations and the Department of Agriculture have not consulted any of the exporting groups and have went on a tangent of their own.

The association said that calf trade has been hit hard over the past two years, pleading that “We cannot shut the door on the truck/ferry route. Major investment through the sector has been made especially with our lairages in France”.

Please sign this petition and support live exports.

All articles can be found on agriland.ie