Live cattle exports to Turkey, carried out by livestock export company Viastar Ltd, are on course to reach 20,000 head in 2016 and to be a significant help to the cattle trade in what otherwise has been a difficult year.

Exports of beef animals to the traditional British and NI market have fallen sharply this year. Beef labelling means the top UK consumers will not take Irish-born cattle finished in the UK.

Exports of finished cattle stand at 20,059, down from 43,179 head this time last year. The difference is 23,120 head or 53%, with exports of cattle to NI for direct slaughter down 15,716 to 9,983 head.

That has been a problem for 2016. But exports of calves, weanlings and stores are also running below last year and that will add to cattle numbers here in 2017.

Exports of calves in 2016 were 72,456 head, down from 85, 281. The difference is 12,825 head or 15%. The big drop was in exports last spring to the Netherlands. Exports there fell by 16,706 or 38% to 26,937.

Countering the weaker exports to the Netherlands were stronger cattle exports to Spain, including of calves. This was one of the few positives in 2016. Demand in Spain was high in 2016 as feeders there filled strong demand for reared cattle into nearby north African markets.

Weanlings

Exports of weanlings in 2016 fared somewhat better than calves. The number exported to date is 16,953, down from 18,831 head this time last year. The drop is 1, 953 head or 10%. Again, the total figure hides a sizeable drop in exports to the traditional market – Italy – countered by an increase in exports to Spain.

Exports to Italy were hit by reduced demand and higher availability of cattle, depressing prices.

Live exports of store weight cattle tell a similar tale – down by 15% or 2,928 head to 15,910 head. Exports of stores to the UK, France and Italy fell, while exports to Spain rose.

All put together, live cattle exports to date in 2016 stand at 125,303 head, down from 166,129 by this time last year. That’s a drop of 40,826 head or 25%.