Ireland to export 100,000 cattle to Turkey
Bord Bia and the IFA met with the Director General of ESK, Mr. Ethem Kalin in Ankara, Turkey this week, as well as the General Director Mr. Salih Turgay Isik of the Department of Agriculture and live cattle importers on the important live export trade from Ireland to Turkey.
There are a number of consignments currently being assembled for Turkey by Irish exporters, with further shipments anticipated over the coming months. To date this year, almost 17,000 Irish cattle have been exported to the Turkish market, and this follows shipments of almost 20,000 head in autumn 2016, according to IFA's press release.
Angus Woods said the Turkish authorities recognized the high quality of Irish livestock and praised the shipments they had received from Ireland. He said, “Turkey wants to develop the trade with Ireland and it is very important that this is fully facilitated in every way.”
"We discussed how we can increase supplies from Ireland by matching our seasonal production with the Turkish specification requirements. We also discussed various issues around weight, age and quarantine requirements," said the IFA Livestock Chairman.
Furthermore, Mr. Woods added that the delegation discussed all aspects of animal welfare with the official veterinarians in the Department of Agriculture and said that for the Turkish authorities this is a very important aspect.
Joe Burke, Livestock Manager with Bord Bia made a presentation to the Turkish authorities on the beef and livestock sector in Ireland. He emphasized the high quality of the progeny from the Irish suckler beef herd and the work at the farm level to further improve genetics. Turkey has also become a key market for exports of Irish beef genetics, taking an estimated 400,000 AI straws from Ireland this year.
The Government-owned Meat and Milk Board (ESK) issues the tenders to supply live cattle to the Turkish market. In the meeting with Bord Bia and the IFA, the ESK explained that 60% of animals are currently being imported from South America – Brazil and Uruguay. The remainder is mainly supplied by European countries, although imports from France continue to be restricted on account of Bluetongue disease.
The ESK emphasized that they have specific import requirements for three categories of animals. The majority of Irish animals supplied to-date have been young bulls for finishing. These must be under 12 months of age, less than 300kg in weight and need to undergo a 21-day quarantine period before export. High-quality heifers are also in demand for breeding, as are finished bulls ready for slaughter in the Turkish market.
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