Farming in Ireland has many problems and all the wrong answers. Whether it’s flying male calves to Europe to bypass welfare restrictions on lengthy export times, or shooting them at birth, neither “solution” addresses the real problem.

An analysis of new data from the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has revealed the EU to be the biggest exporter of live animals. But what is larger - our sense of surprise or the scale of the EU’s hypocrisy regarding animal welfare?