Italian feedlot owners are facing problems sourcing high-quality weanlings. Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal this week on Tullamore Farm, Andrea Mezzanto, a feedlot owner finishing 3,000 bulls annually in the Rovigo region of northern Italy, said that good-quality weanlings are in short supply across Europe.

“The decline in the suckler herd across Europe means the quality is not as good as it once was.

“There is also a shift away from breeding top-quality weanlings in countries like France, with farmers not as passionate as they once were about breeding”.

Bluetongue restrictions are also compounding the issue, with Italian feedlots locked out of purchasing weanlings in many areas in Europe.

The group also expressed frustration with the lack of communication with beef factories in Italy, with Italian feedlots taking 100% of the financial risk in finishing cattle.

The IFA hosted the group for a four-day trip, which involved visits to farms, marts, research centres and live exporters.