Letters

Cruelty in the dairy sector

RTÉ documentary focuses on live export of male calves

Wed Jul 12 2023 - 02:00

Sir, – No doubt RTÉ would like a letter of praise in these rocky times.

Well, it is well deserved in relation to RTÉ Investigates: Dairy’s Dirty Secret documentary, broadcast on Monday, July 10th, on animal abuse, especially through the practice of live export of male calves.

The programme shockingly revealed the dark side of the dairy industry, in which bull calves are considered an undesirable side effect of milk production and a nuisance to profits.

Obviously, a cow doesn’t produce milk until she’s had a calf, and half the young of any species are male.

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These young bull calves are considered worthless as they are unsuitable for beef production. Some cannot even fetch a euro at a mart.

The result is incredible cruelty in which the unfortunate creatures are either killed or packed off to Europe, destined for the cruel veal market.

Even the most ardent of meat eaters would surely be horrified at the heartless and sometimes vicious treatment we witnessed being meted out to these innocent animals, some as young as two weeks.

We saw disturbing incidences of beating (with sticks – illegal), kicking, tail-pulling and rough-handling of the animals both before and after being shunted into overcrowded lorries for long journeys over land and sea, often without the mandatory stipulations of rest and water or food as necessary.

No checks were made by the drivers on their condition during the following journeys and, not surprisingly, some poor animals were dead on arrival. And all that before a short, confined life in an indoor veal farm where they are fattened before slaughter.

Well done to the RTÉ Investigates team for highlighting outrageous practices that must be stopped.

Irish dairy products are famous worldwide but how can we justify treating our fellow animals, over-produced by the dairy industry, with such contempt, disdain and cruelty, and with so little compassion?

At a time when there are exciting developments in plant-based food and drink, surely it is beyond time to rethink the dairy industry and to immediately end live exports? – Yours, etc,

SINÉAD BOLAND,

Kilmacanogue,

Co Wicklow.

A chara. – I’m sitting here in Wexford absolutely distraught at what I’ve just witnessed.

The way our farmers and mart personnel are treating young calves and how they are abused and put through unnecessary suffering is an abomination to me.

We are better than this.

Greedy farmers rearing juvenile animals for sale to satisfy the diners in France should be denied their massive Government grants.

This is disgraceful and disgusting. Shame on you all. – Yours, etc,

PAT BURKE WALSH,

Ballymoney,

Gorey.

Sir, – Having watched RTÉ Investigates on Monday night I would first like to congratulate RTÉ for excellent reporting and coverage.

It is high time that we do something drastic to stop the export of live calves to Europe.

The suggestion that sexed semen should be used is credible, but it should be remembered that we would then end up with almost twice as many dairy cows as we have already, allowing for some culling of older animals. And this would repeat every year if all calves born are heifers.

Having lived in the past on a dairy farm in Meath, I would strongly recommend using a more versatile cow for dairy, for example, Montbeliarde, which has good butter-fat and plenty of milk, but is also suitable for beef.

We could, and probably should, use our own native rare breed, the Dexter cow, which has an abundance of milk, and does not need to be kept indoors during the winter months.

There may not be the same “white gold” profits to be made, but it could mean the continuance of both our dairy and beef industries in the future. – Yours, etc,

ANNE STRAHAN,

Bantry,

Co Cork.

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