Wicklow Calf Company has said it is prioritising the buying of calves for export from dairy farmers who buy its milk replacer.
The company, which exports over 70,000 calves annually, sells an own brand milk replacer which is manufactured by Netherlands based Denkavit.
Seamus Scallan of Wicklow Calf Company, told the Farming Independent: “Those who are dealing with me [buying milk replacer], I am going to get their calves out first.
“Naturally, because it gives me more power to sell the calves. After that I’ll take calves where I have the space.”
ICMSA has told farmers to buy milk replacer at the most competitive price in response.
“It shouldn’t be a case that ‘you have to buy off me because I’m buying something else off you’,” ICMSA President Denis Drennan told the Farming Independent.
“If you want to sell something sure it’s up to you to be competitive with it and provide good quality at the right price.”
In a video posted to TikTok, Mr Scallan encouraged farmers to buy milk replacer from his company because other companies “aren’t buying your calves.”
He warned that importers in the Netherlands are “not earning money out of feeding the calves” and can’t understand “why we [Wicklow Calf Company] can’t sell the milk in Ireland to our customers.”
He said: “It’s a valid point they’re making to us and what we’re going to say to the people we’re dealing with at the moment is that you need to start buying the Dutch powder.
“The people who are taking your calves every week in the Netherlands, you’ll be sure that you can get your calves away.
“Probably 90pc of the dairy farmers in Ireland use milk powder but for some reason their friends come in and they buy milk powder off them but they have to remember one thing – these people coming in that you’re buying the milk powder off, they’re not taking your calves.
“You’re depending on the Dutch to take your calves, otherwise we’re going to have a big problem here and the calves are going to be left.”
Mr Scallan said his lorries are going out to the continent full of calves and coming back empty.
“We’re asking people who deal with Wicklow Calf Company to come on board and start supporting us the way you support your co-op to buy fertiliser and different things. The calves are a byproduct and they need to leave.”
