Waterford’s key role in Libyan exports

The mention of live exports to North African and Middle Eastern countries brings back memories for many cattle farmers of the 1980s and the political manoeuvrings of Charlie Haughey culminating in his meeting with the then Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in the Libyan desert in 1983.

The fruits of these discussions would see many tens of thousands of Irish cattle make their way to Tripoli, until the outbreak of BSE in 1996, and the resultant export ban.

Although the live trade to Egypt would eventually take multiples of the numbers that would go to Libya, it is the perceived potential of the Libyan market that holds an almost romantic fascination for both Irish farmers and politicians.