It has been confirmed by Joe Burke from Bord Bia, that the cattle supply available for slaughter is expected to take a hit by 100,000-120,000 head during 2021.
It has been no secret to beef farmers over recent weeks that there has been a shortage of supplies available to meet demand, evident from the eagerness of factories to source cattle.
These latest figures released by Bord Bia have been revised from earlier projections presented back in January 2021, when supplies were forecasted to be reduced by 60,000-80,000 head.
Why are supplies back?
Speaking about the reasoning behind fewer cattle being available, Joe Burke explained:
“There are a few factors behind this reduction. The year of 2019, in particular, was very strong for calf exports, so many of them were exported out of the country at that time.
“Combining this with a reduction in young bull finishing, these young male animals which would have previously been slaughtered as young bulls, are now being slaughtered up to nine months older. This is likely to push more of these males to be slaughtered into next year.
“Finally, we have seen very strong exports to Northern Ireland, which has taken a lot of cattle out of the system,” Burke added.
Recovery of cattle throughput for 2022
The shortage of cattle supplies in Ireland is expected to be shortlived it seems, as Joe stated that the numbers of cattle available for slaughter will recover in 2022 and 2023.
This is due to calf exports suffering a decline last year and at the beginning of 2021. Adding the males that have not been slaughtered as young bulls this year to the mix, Bord Bia projects this will rise throughput back to the levels seen in 2020.
Tighter availability across the UK and Europe
Taking a look at the UK which is Ireland’s key export market when it comes to beef exports, it has been predicted that their beef production is set to fall by 5% according to Joe Burke.
On a positive note, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (ADHB) forecasts have stated that overall imports of beef into the UK will rise by 4%. Joe pointed out that this should work in favour of Irish beef exports as they account for approximately 80% of beef being imported into the UK.
Overall, across Europe it has been projected that beef supplies will drop by 2%. Although, beef consumption in Europe is set to decline by less than 1% due to a mix of factors including the pandemic.
Joe Burke explained that it is not that significant enough to have a major impact on the sector, due to it being less than the reductions in consumptions seen in previous years.