Income from Bord Bia’s livestock levy was up by over €500,000 last year to €5,715m – the highest amount taken in by Bord Bia since 2001.

The increase coincided to an increase in the cattle kill in 2014. Export meat plant cattle supplies are estimated to have increased by more than 10% in 2014 to around 1.64m head. Increases were evident across all categories with the exception of cows.

Since 2000, Bord Bia has collected over €79m through the levy.

bord bia levy

The An Bord Bia Act, 1994, provides for payment to Bord Bia of a levy per head on slaughtered or exported livestock.

The current levy rate is €1.90 per head for cattle and €0.25 per head of sheep.

Minister Coveney said in response to a parliamentary question recently that there are no plans at this point to review the rate of the levy, which funds market research, intelligence and promotion activities and enables the beef sector to draw down co-funding from within the Bord Bia budget.

Income from the cattle levy (including live exports) in 2014 amounted to €5.7m.

Under the act which established Bord Bia its functions are to promote, assist and develop in any manner which the it considers necessary or desirable the marketing of Irish food and livestock and the production, marketing and consumption of horticultural produce.

Bord Bia received over €27m in Government funding in 2014 and had a total income of in excess of €50m.