Galway IFA officer warns against Friesian beef glut

Farmers in the West have been advised against buying in cheap Holstein Friesian bull calves that could ‘clog up’ the beef market again in two years time.

“With the overall lift in prices across the cattle and beef sector, we know that some farmers are again going down the road of buying in the cheaper Holstein Friesian calves,” said Co Galway IFA livestock chairman Michael Flynn.

He said this caused a lot of the beef price problems of last year, after farmers reared 180,000 extra calves born in 2012.

“We really do need to see those calves going abroad.

“I would caution farmers against buying them, they are nearly impossible to finish without keeping them for at least three to four years and all they’ll do is clog up the market.”

He welcomed last year’s live export of 238,000 head of cattle, which compared with only 140,000 in 2012 (having fallen from 260,000 in 2011).

Mr Flynn predicts a seller’s market over the coming weeks and months.