The number of cattle processed in Irish factories is projected to increase by 70,000 head in 2022, according to Bord Bia’s latest projections.
Speaking at the Bord Bia Meat Marketing Seminar last month, the Irish food board’s beef sector manager, Mark Zieg, outlined that in 2021, cattle throughput dropped by 112,000 head or 6% to just under 1.69 million cattle.
Commenting on cattle supply going forward, Zieg outlined firstly that Irish calf registrations increased by 2% in 2021 noting a continuing trend of growth in year-on-year calf registrations.
Of the 2% growth in calf registrations, he outlined that there was a 4% rise in calf registrations from dairy cows with a 2% decline in registrations from suckler cows.
Giving an overview of the beef kill forecast for 2022, Zieg explained that the beef kill is projected to be somewhere in the region of 1.76 million cattle.
He noted that the projected throughput would indicate an increase of 70,000 cattle this year or an increase of 4%.
The increased level of cattle being processed is projected to be spread evenly throughout the year, however, Zieg outlined that it remains to be seen over the coming weeks if beef finishers have decided to “dig deep and spend money on expensive feed” or will they choose to “push those cattle out to grass” and opt to finish them in the third quarter of the year.
Irish cattle exports
The number of cattle exported in 2021 fell by 7% on 2020 export levels and 17% when compared to 2019 figures.
Despite this, just under 250,000 cattle were exported from Ireland in 2021 with weanling exports back 44% on 2021 levels.
Zieg was optimistic about cattle export levels bouncing back in 2022 saying: “We can expect to see some recovery in exports to the continent in 2022 as a result of “low supplies in Europe”.
It was also outlined that cattle exports to Northern Ireland increased by 13% last year to just under 73,000 head and Zieg said: “We can expect strong demand from northern Ireland again this year”.
Cattle exports to countries outside the UK and EU “were somewhat subdued”, according to Zieg however, he expressed optimism that “interest from a number of different markets in north Africa and Israel” could lead to more cattle going that route this year.
EU cattle supplies
The overall EU cattle supplies were down by 1.1% last year and Zieg noted cattle supplies have been forecast to fall a further 1.4% in the EU overall in 2022.
Interestingly, it was noted that cattle supply is forecast to fall this year in many of the major markets supplied by Ireland with French cattle supply forecast to drop by 2.2%, Germany by 5%, Poland by 1% and the Netherlands by 3.6%.
While cattle availability is set to increase in Ireland this year, “tight supplies are very much a feature for the year ahead” across the EU, according to Bord Bia.
Concluding, Bord Bia’s beef sector manager, Mark Zieg expressed optimism that 2022 will bring “a good thrive in grass, cattle and markets”.