Calf exports have increased more than 460% in the first six weeks of 2016, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.
The number of calves exported from the start of 2016 to the week ending February 13, have increased by 463 head on the year before.
In total there have been 562 calves exported by live-export means, with the majority of these cattle shipped to Spain and the Netherlands.
Figures from the Department also show that there has been an increase in the total number of cattle exported from Ireland to Spain (+612 head) and the Netherlands (+564 head) in the first five weeks of 2016 compared to 2015.
In early February, Cecilia Ruiz, Bord Bia Manager for Spain was confident that 2016 would be a good year for Irish calf exports to Spain.
“Spain is growing its beef production and demand is expected to focus on good quality Friesian bull calves, along with beef-crosses coming from the dairy herd,” she said.
During 2015, Irish exports to Spain reached almost 30,000 head, of which 95% were calves.
However, the additional calves shipped to date only represent a very small percentage of the increase in calf births this spring.
According to the latest registration figures from the Department of Agriculture, dairy births are up almost 30,000 to date on the same period in 2015.
Its figures show that 360,000 calves have been registered so far this year compared to the 332,000 born over the same period in 2015. This is an increase of 7%.