One of the Ireland's leading calf buyers has said the current protocols in place for trading Irish calves to customers in Poland is "unworkable".

The founder of Wicklow Calf Company, Seamus Scallan, told Agriland today (Friday, February 13) that the Netherlands and Spain remain open to Irish calves this spring.

Scallan also said that calf buyers in Hungary have recently confirmed they will be in a position to source Irish calves this year.

However, Scallan said that there are contracts for significant numbers of Irish calves from customers in Poland that cannot be filled due to certain requirements.

He said these requirements have been specified by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon.

Current bluetongue regulations for trading Irish calves to Poland specify that the calves must have been protected from vector attacks by insecticides or repellents for at least 14 days prior to the date of movement.

Scallan said that Minister Heydon has specified that a private veterinary practitioner (PVP) must be present to apply the pour-on insecticides or repellent and must also give a declaration this has been completed.

Scallan believes that farmers should be permitted to apply this insecticide without the need for a PVP to be present.

He said: "In the whole EU, you can trade [livestock] into Poland once the farmer gives a declaration the calves have been sprayed with an insecticide 14 days prior to sale.

DAFM

According to a spokesperson from DAFM because both Ireland and Poland are European Union (EU) Member States, movement of calves must be carried out in line with EU rules.

"These regulations are in place to protect animal health and traceability," the spokesperson stated.

DAFM has also detailed that the export of calves must be in compliance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport to ensure high welfare standards are maintained throughout their journey.

In addition to this Regulation (EU) 2016/429 'Animal Health Law' and its related acts - in particular Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688 - provide the rules for the movements of live animals within the EU, according to the department.

The spokesperson said: "The rules allow for certain derogations whereby the Member State of destination may accept animals in compliance with certain animal health conditions, as provided for in EU legislation.

"In practice, Member States notify of their conditions by publishing them on the European Commission's website.

"It is up to the authorities of the relevant importing Member State to set the conditions of their derogations in line with EU rules".

Derogations

According to the Polish chief veteinary officer, Krzysztof Jażdżewski, the current derogations in place in Poland specify that animals under 90 days of age can be moved to the "zones of Poland" without a disease-free status and without an approved eradication programme for infection with bluetongue virus if they meet one of the three requirements:

Come from dams whose have been vaccinated against all serotypes 1-24 of BTV reported during the past two years in the Member State or zone of origin prior to service, or at least 28 days prior to their birth and the dam remains at the time of parturition within the immunity period guaranteed in the specifications of the vaccine;
They have been protected from vector attacks by insecticides or repellents for at least 14 days prior to the date of movement and they have been subjected during that period to a PCR test, with negative results, carried out on samples collected at least 14 days after the onset of the protection against vector attacks;
Animals independent of age have been kept in a seasonally BTV-free Member State or zone established in accordance with paragraph 3 of Article 40 to Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 for at least 60 days prior to the date of movement or for at least 28 days prior to the date of movement. Animals must also have been subjected to a serological test, with negative results, carried out on samples collected at least 28 days following the entry date of the animal into the seasonally BTV-free Member State or zone for at least 14 days prior to the date of movement and have been subjected to a PCR test, with negative results, carried out on samples collected at least 14 days following the entry date of the animal into the seasonally BTV-free Member State or zone.

A total of 26,000 Irish calves were purchased by customers based in Poland in 2025.