The lucrative trade in live calves between Ireland and continental Europe will come under pressure from today when the ban on British calf exports is lifted from midnight.
Irish live cattle exports, according to a Bord Bia report, have increased by 55 per cent this year to reach almost 84,000 head.
"Most of this rise has been due to a jump of 25,000 head in calf exports while shipments of weanlings [ older calves] to the Continent are 11,000 head higher," said the food board.
"The main markets for calves to date this year have been Holland, Spain, France and Belgium.
"The impending return of UK calf exports will reduce the competitiveness of Irish calves, particularly in the Dutch market," it said. "However, demand for Irish weanlings looks set to be maintained, reflecting better feedlot demand in Italy and Spain."
In anticipation of the lifting of the ban, Compassion in World Farming yesterday began a campaign in Britain to stop the resumption of the trade, which was banned for 10 years because of BSE. The campaign is being spearheaded by actor Joanna Lumley, who claimed the trade caused "horrific" suffering to the young animals.
She said the calves being transported to Europe would be bred for veal in standards far below those enforced in Britain.
Dubbing it a "vile trade", the star of the Absolutely Fabulous sitcom said that if the trade was allowed to resume again, as many as 500,000 British animals could end up in veal crates in Europe.
"There are so many people in this country who are just horrified by any unnecessary cruelty in the rearing of farm animals. I think everybody thought that this trade had ceased," she said.
"There is also this horrific journey. Often if they survive the journey they succumb to secondary illnesses. Our message is don't start this vile export again."
Welfare groups in Britain mounted a major campaign in 1995 to stop live shipping and blocked east-coast ports. One protester who fell under a lorry died during the campaign which forced Irish exporters to seek direct shipping routes to the Continent because British-based ferries refused to carry livestock.