SHARING OPTIONS:
Ray Doyle of ICOS said the exception to test calves within 42 days had supported a positive mart trade.
A request has been made for the rules around calf TB testing to be changed to allow calves up to 120 days of age to be freely traded without the need for a test.
The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) called for the change, originally introduced as part of COVID-19 flexibilities, to be made permanent at a calf welfare group meeting with the Department of Agriculture.
“We have seen great improvements in calf welfare and quality of calves presented for sale in marts since the change in the TB testing regime, due to COVID restrictions, but when COVID has abated this exemption should be continued,” ICOS livestock and environmental services executive Ray Doyle said.
April 20, 2021 3:12 pm
Calls have been made for the current TB testing exemption for calves up to 120 days-old to be made permanent post-Covid.
The calls were made by the Irish Cooperative Organisation Society earlier this week.
At yesterday’s (Monday, April 19) meeting of the calf welfare group, ICOS requested a permanent change by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to allow calves up to 120 days-old to be freely traded without the necessity for TB testing.
Commenting on the matter, Ray Doyle, livestock and environmental services executive for ICOS, said:
“We have seen great improvements in calf welfare and quality of calves presented for sale at marts since the change in the TB testing regime, due to Covid restrictions – but when Covid has abated this exemption should be continued.
Ornua has announced the appointment of Anne McFarland and Anne O’Leary as independent non-executive directors.
Both appointees are chartered accountants with over 40 years’ experience.
Anne McFarland
McFarland currently runs her own finance and governance consultancy business and her career has included senior finance roles and directorships with private and listed firms across multiple international markets.
Most recently she was an independent director for Botswana Diamonds PLC, an exploration company, and she has also held senior executive financial positions in Glencore, a global producer and trader in natural commodities, and Segezha Packaging, a multinational manufacturer of packaging.
She was based in Moscow, Russia, for both of the latter positions.
March 16, 2021 5:23 pm
The island’s milk pool faces a “ridiculous scenario” where milk produced in the Republic of Ireland is in some instances no longer deemed Irish if it is processed north of the border, a major cross-border processor has warned.
The issue came to light this week after a controversial advert run by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) accused retailers of trying to use in-house branding to push down milk prices.
The adverts have raised a few eyebrows, with an industry source explaining they could be an attempt to pressurise retailers into buying only NDC-approved milk, rather than from cross-border companies.
March 4, 2021 3:58 pm
Four Irish cooperatives are among 18 finalists shortlisted from a competitive field of leading cooperatives from across the European Union, in the European Awards for Cooperative Innovation.
Organised every three years by Cogeca (European Association of Agri-Cooperatives), the awards are considered the ‘Oscars’ for innovation in cooperative industries, marking outstanding innovation and excellence in the agri-food, fishery and forestry sectors.
The theme of this year’s award is focused on sustainability-driven innovation including the creation of new products and services, markets, processes and business models driven by economic, social or environmental objectives.
The Irish cooperative organisations shortlisted are Dairygold, FRS Network, Glanbia and the National Federation of Group Water Schemes.