Livestock ferry delayed
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• International livestock hauliers waiting to resume their trade face a further delay over the starting date of a new livestock ferry service.
Farmers' Ferry, the Welsh farmers' organisation behind the planned service between Dover and Dunkirk, is now expected to launch the service in August, rather than this month as was originally planned.
The postponement follows difficulties for the organisation in persuading farmers to stump up cash to cover the ferry's startup costs. They have pledged £20,000 a day, but that falls short of the £1.3m needed to set up the service. Animal rights protesters have stopped all other ferry companies accepting cargoes of livestock. With the lamb export season due to start this month, farmers and livestock hauliers are depending on Farmers' Ferry to provide a route out of the UK.
Last year 440,000 sheep were exported.