Irish jumping into dairy, UK Beef price flying, NEW NORMAL?

[agri knives]

I’m amazed by the incompetence of the Irish coops.
1 there are far too many
2. They knew the milk was coming I it was government policy to push production post the end of quota. Why on earth did glambia wait so long to apply for planning permission.

Your wrong there , Irish Coops had a huge amount of spare capacity , they imported a lot of milk from Wales and Northern Ireland and are still taking northern milk, a new factory has been delayed by planning but it’s not the end of the world , they will be alright.

 

[lazy farmer]

Your wrong there , Irish Coops had a huge amount of spare capacity , they imported a lot of milk from Wales and Northern Ireland and are still taking northern milk, a new factory has been delayed by planning but it’s not the end of the world , they will be alright.

That’s partially my point. If there were less coops then it would have been easier to move this surplus milk about rather than place production controls on farmers with spring systems

 

[unlacedgecko]

To where?

Generally, by ferry to the Netherlands. Then by road to rearing units in mid Europe, finishing units in Southern Spain then live export again to slaughter.

Some cattle with Irish tags have been found in Libyan abattoirs.

 

[farmerm]

No it should not, most of this milk is dried for baby powder , with China being the big market.

This surprised me as Asian genetics tend to exhibit a high prevalence of lactose intolerance so I presumed the Chinese demand is for lactose free baby powder.. however reading around the subject it seems Chinese babies raised on lactose continue to produce lactase into adulthood if they keep drinking milk, they will remain lactose tolerant and the demand for milk and milk products in China is going to continue to grow.. the question is how much will China grow their own production? What other country could or would build 100,000 cow dairy units!

 

[mezz]

Anywhere willing to pay.
Potentially from Spain to Hungary/Poland and as far south as Libya and anywhere in between

Never heard of any going to Hungary/Poland. Libya would be for store cattle not calves. The Netherlands and Spain would take the majority, think it's mainly Holland rather than Spain these days.

 

[agri knives]

Generally, by ferry to the Netherlands. Then by road to rearing units in mid Europe, finishing units in Southern Spain then live export again to slaughter.

Some cattle with Irish tags have been found in Libyan abattoirs.

Yes there are some live shipments of bulls to libya . I think about 4-5000 a year

 

[Hilly]

I remember when store cattle here used to average at mart s about 450 head Ireland were exporting theirs to Italy and getting 8-900 , we were not allowed to export live .

 

[MrA.G.]

Anywhere willing to pay.
Potentially from Spain to Hungary/Poland and as far south as Libya and anywhere in between

This is the second thread you have commented negatively about the live export of calves. The are fed and watered with a dry bed during transport so is it any different to you importing heifers from the continent?

 

[ollie989898]

This surprised me as Asian genetics tend to exhibit a high prevalence of lactose intolerance so I presumed the Chinese demand is for lactose free baby powder.. however reading around the subject it seems Chinese babies raised on lactose continue to produce lactase into adulthood if they keep drinking milk, they will remain lactose tolerant and the demand for milk and milk products in China is going to continue to grow.. the question is how much will China grow their own production? What other country could or would build 100,000 cow dairy units!

Lactose intolerance I understand is a bit more common in Asia, but as you say if you consume the stuff in quantity the problem can correct itself.

Chinese dairy farming is a big thing already but the land and infrastructure for it is not available everywhere. Some parts of China are either so remote or so steep it's nigh on impossible to farm. Also, some imported brands of milk powder etc are views by their consumers are preferable because of connotations of quality they associate with them. This may be due to the melamine scandal they had. Food scares cost producers big money as their reputation can be destroyed forever.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Yes there are some live shipments of bulls to libya . I think about 4-5000 a year

‘Sending animals to war zones’: Irish cattle export to Libya may breach laws

Next week’s planned shipment of 2,000 bulls could contravene EU welfare regulations, campaigners say

www.theguardian.com

note the article states the voyage is 9 days, and the mortality for the previous voyages is 0.19%

 

[happycows]

This is the second thread you have commented negatively about the live export of calves. The are fed and watered with a dry bed during transport so is it any different to you importing heifers from the continent?

I've been in a Dutch and Belgian lairage on a freezing cold February day and watched 800 calves come off wagons. The noise was deafening, and i was left completely dumbfounded why anyone would put young animals through that.
I would never put a calf born under my care through that and nothing you will say will change my mind.
Some of those calves were really not very old or had anything about them to be able to sustain themselves on that kind of journey. I can assure you that the way those calves looked and sounded were a million miles away from how my heifers look coming off the lorry. They are old enough to eat straw or hay out of the feeder, drink from a drinker and invariably look in better shape and less flustered than cattle that are carted 20 miles.

 

[Headless chicken]

This is the second thread you have commented negatively about the live export of calves. The are fed and watered with a dry bed during transport so is it any different to you importing heifers from the continent?

imo it’s the conditions when they are further sent on ie into Libya etc that’s the bigger issue

 

[unlacedgecko]

imo it’s the conditions when they are further sent on ie into Libya etc that’s the bigger issue

If you put cull cows through a live ring there’s a chance they’ll be non stun slaughtered in the U.K.


People in foreign countries without access to refrigeration deserve to eat the nutrient dense super food that is meat. In a post-Brexit environment it seems madness to me to limit possible markets.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I've been in a Dutch and Belgian lairage on a freezing cold February day and watched 800 calves come off wagons. The noise was deafening, and i was left completely dumbfounded why anyone would put young animals through that.
I would never put a calf born under my care through that and nothing you will say will change my mind.
Some of those calves were really not very old or had anything about them to be able to sustain themselves on that kind of journey. I can assure you that the way those calves looked and sounded were a million miles away from how my heifers look coming off the lorry. They are old enough to eat straw or hay out of the feeder, drink from a drinker and invariably look in better shape and less flustered than cattle that are carted 20 miles.

So it would be acceptable to live export weaned calves? Do you rear all your calves to weaning?

 

[happycows]

So it would be acceptable to live export weaned calves? Do you rear all your calves to weaning?

All my calves have gone to one farmer for the last 4 years. He’s about 25 miles away and I usually meet him half way with batches of 8/10. These are usually 35/42 days.
Weaned calves would cope with the journey one hell of a lot better than the poor mites I watched and if done properly, with a break for good feed and 12 hours rest like my imported heifers get I could come to terms with it much better.

 

[happycows]

If you put cull cows through a live ring there’s a chance they’ll be non stun slaughtered in the U.K.


People in foreign countries without access to refrigeration deserve to eat the nutrient dense super food that is meat. In a post-Brexit environment it seems madness to me to limit possible markets.

I’m certainly no fan of non stun slaughter but I have had to do it in emergency before as it was the kindest way to stop severe suffering quickly and I’m in no doubt with a sharp knife and well placed cut it is quick.

I certainly don’t want to limit export of our meat but send it in joints in a cold store rather than live.
I wouldn’t be enthralled but I could live with non stun slaughter within nearest abattoir to farm before sending live cattle to a gruesome ending in North Africa.

 

[kiwi pom]

No it should not, most of this milk is dried for baby powder , with China being the big market.

The problem is over the last few years everyone has been flat out building plants for the baby powder market, including Chinese owned factories here. Is the powder market about to be oversupplied?

 

[Headless chicken]

If you put cull cows through a live ring there’s a chance they’ll be non stun slaughtered in the U.K.


People in foreign countries without access to refrigeration deserve to eat the nutrient dense super food that is meat. In a post-Brexit environment it seems madness to me to limit possible markets.

I won’t put culls through the ring live for this reason. I adore my stock, they work hard to look after me and my family. The least I owe them is the quickest most stress free and painless end. No judgment on those who choose other routes either but I am uneasy about moving calves still on milk long distances.

 

[Bossfarmer]

I remember when store cattle here used to average at mart s about 450 head Ireland were exporting theirs to Italy and getting 8-900 , we were not allowed to export live .

what age/weights? i do recall them being down at 1.35/kg as opposed to 2.55 now

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Lots of Irish bull calves live exported

If done right, live export can add useful competition in the marketplace for stock, as opposed to relying on an ever-dwindling number of domestic processors