Latest figures on Irish cattle exports show numbers have increased by 14% on last year’s levels, with just over 206,000 head of cattle exported to date this year.
Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) up to and including the week ending June 19, show an increase of 24,815 head in the number of cattle exported on the same time period as last year.
Increases have been seen in the calf and weanling categories, while decreases have been recorded in the store and adult cattle categories.
The Netherlands, Spain and Northern Ireland are the top three destinations for Irish cattle, despite the fact that exports to Spain and Northern Ireland have decreased by 12% and 45% respectively, on last year’s levels.
Exports to the Netherlands have increased by 104% on last year’s levels, to stand at just over 94,500 head, with the largest majority of these cattle falling under the calf category.
Cattle exports by type (2020-2022), up to June 19, 2022:
2020 2021 2022 2020/22 2021/22 Calves: 128,130 131,305 160,229 +25% +22% Weanlings: 11,140 9,884 12,363 +11% +25% Stores: 11,830 16,515 15,811 +34% -4% Adult Cattle: 17,987 23,570 17,686 -2% -25% Total: 169,087 181,274 206,089 +22% +14%
2019 was a record year for calf exports with over 181,600 calves exported in the first 24 weeks of the year. Numbers fell significantly in 2020 and recovered slightly in 2021, with this year seeing a stronger recovery in the number of calves exported.
Live cattle exports by destination (2020-2022) up to June 19, 2022:
2020 2021 2022 2021/2022 Netherlands: 48,539 46,402 94,535 +104% Spain: 56,080 59,551 52,574 -12% Northern Ireland: 22,753 38,933 21,537 -45% Italy: 15,083 21,363 18,883 -12% Libya: 7,636 4,928 7,269 +48% Jordan: – – 3,387 – Poland: 3,236 958 2,803 +193% Great Britain: 2,645 1,880 1,917 +2% Hungary: 206 764 1,138 +49% Greece: 1,494 1,045 1,117 +7% Belgium: 4,071 1,972 572 -71% Portugal: – 120 113 -6% Morocco: – – 111 – Other: 7,344 3,358 133 -96% Total: 169,087 181,274 206,089 14%
As the table above indicates, the number of cattle exported to Northern Ireland has fallen by 45% on last year’s levels.
Looking to the second half of 2022, tight supplies of beef cattle in Northern Ireland could see more northern buyers returning to source cattle from the south.