The number of cattle exported from Ireland by live-export means is down considerably on the same time last year, figures from Bord Bia show.

To the week ending May 21, just over 81,000 Irish cattle were shipped by live-export means, down 24% on the corresponding time in 2015.

All of the major categories of Irish cattle have posted a drop, but calf and finished cattle exports have been worst affected, declining by nearly 12,000 and 10,000 head respectively.

Finished cattle exports

The official figures show a substantial drop in finished cattle exports.

The main markets for live finished cattle exports are both Northern Ireland and Britain and the figures from Bord Bia show a decline in the number of cattle exported to both these markets.

Irish live-cattle exports to the north have dropped by 45%, while shipments to Britain are back by almost 70%.

According to Bord Bia, the fall in live-cattle exports to the UK comes on the back of a weaker Sterling and a lower beef price, which makes UK born cattle cheaper to purchase by UK buyers.

The UK is also a major destination for Irish store cattle. And like finished cattle exports, Bord Bia shows a fall of just under 2,000 head store cattle exports this year compared to last.

Fall in Irish live cattle exports:

Irish live cattle exports

Source: Bord Bia

Weanling exports down 2,000 head

Figures from Bord Bia also show a fall in weanlings exports, with shipments of these animals back by 2,000 head this year compared to 2015.

However, the number of weanlings shipped to Italy, our largest weanling market, has increased by 26% year-on-year.

But Bord Bia predicts that the Italian market will become more difficult as the year progresses. This is mainly due to the relative closeness of the Irish and Italian beef price.

Bord Bia also reports that the extra cattle coming from France this year are also likely to have an impact on the Irish weanling trade.

It expects an additional 100,000 cattle from France to be redistributed across Europe, because France has been restricted from exporting live cattle to Turkey, due to a Bluetongue outbreak.

And, this could possibly saturate the Italian cattle market, which will have a negative impact on Irish cattle exports to Turkey later in the year.

Irish live-calf export numbers fall

Official figures also show a fall in the number of calves exported from Ireland by live-export means, down by 12,000 head year-on-year.

Spain and the Netherlands are the main destinations for Irish calf exports, taking mostly dairy bull calves.

But, the number of cattle shipped from Ireland to the Netherlands is back by 35.5% (14,158 head) on last year.

However, Irish cattle exports to Spain have posted some increase, up by 3,321 head or 15%.