Live exports continue to steam ahead, with 2024 set to be a record year for cattle leaving the country on the hoof.
The most recent set of data from the Department of Agriculture and Food show that live exports are currently running 8% ahead of the same period in 2023.
There have been 297,695 cattle exported from Irish shores up to 15 September this year compared with 276,168 exported during the same period in 2023 and 240,346 head of cattle exported during the same period in 2022.
If we cast our minds back to almost 10 years ago in 2015, Irish cattle exports were just hitting under 150,000 head and this dropped further in 2016 when there was just over 100,000 head of cattle exported from January to September.
Autumn is usually the busiest time for weanling and store exports and speaking to exporters this week, they are expecting one of the busiest autumns on record for Irish cattle exports. They are seeing huge demand from countries like North Africa and Turkey for Irish weanlings and store cattle, with no sign of any letup in demand for the foreseeable future.
Tighter supplies of cattle in the European Union is one of the drivers of the international demand for Irish cattle.
In the December 2023 EU livestock survey, the number of suckler cows in the EU declined for the fourth year in a row, by an additional 160 000 heads (-1.6%). Dairy cows recorded a decline of -344 000 heads (-1.7%). The number of male bovine cattle for slaughtering between one and two years, and above two years also decreased by -0.4% and -1.2%, respectively.
These figures are expected to have an impact on beef availability in the months ahead. Therefore, EU beef production in 2024 is expected to decrease further by 2.3%. It’s a similar story in the UK, with reduced cattle supplies available for slaughter driving Northern Ireland customers south of the border in search of suitable forward store cattle for finishing. This has helped maintain numbers being exported north for further finishing.
Numbers moving north remain on a par with 2023 numbers. Morocco has been the standout market so far in 2024, rising from zero Irish cattle being exported in 2023 to just under 15,000 head so far in 2024.
\ Philip Doyle
The Shorthorn Express livestock carrier is currently situated just off the northeast coast at Greenore Port, ready to load another 2,500 cattle this weekend.
The Shorthorn Express has already brought several shipments of cattle to Morocco and this is expected to continue through the final months of 2024.
Bluetongue
Bluetongue outbreaks across Europe mean that some countries who would have normally provided cattle for markets have been excluded from international trade until they achieve Bluetongue-free status.
Cases have been reported in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland, with over 4,000 confirmed cases in the Netherlands. The first case was confirmed in the UK on 10 November 2023 with further outbreaks in the last few weeks.
The outbreaks could hold affected countries out of international markets for up to two years since the last case was confirmed.
Young bulls from Ireland on a large feedlot outside Ankara, Turkey.
Irish authorities are on high alert as an outbreak of the disease would halt all live exports and deal a severe blow to the Irish beef industry.
The disease, which is spread by biting midges, is at its highest risk of spread between April and November. Cooler temperatures will help to stop the risk of a spread to Irish shores.
The Netherlands has been particularly hard hit, with the disease rampant in cattle herds and sheep flocks.
After a slow start, calf exports picked up pace later in spring 2024 with current calf exports on a par with 2023 exports.
Current exports are the second highest in the last decade with a number of countries shifting away from the young Holstein Friesian calf to older, beef-sired calves. This has led to an increase in the number of beef-sired calves being exported.
Sixty-three per cent of calves exported in 2024 have been beef-sired compared with 54% for the same period in 2023.
A number of newly established eastern European markets have been performing very well with good customer feedback on the health and performance of Irish-bred calves. The only fly in the ointment at the moment is the Netherlands and what will happen the market for Irish calves in the Netherlands post-2025.
Speaking at an Irish Farmers Association meeting in Cavan on Monday night, Bord Bia’s Joe Burke said: “The Dutch market has tended to be our biggest market.
“Dutch veal farmers have indicated they won’t be importing Irish calves post-2025.
“The fact is, we won’t have an IBR control programme in place by 2025 so we will essentially be locked out of that market. We are looking at diversifying our calf markets.
“Producing better-quality calves will lead to better demand. If these 70,000 calves that were previously exported to the Netherlands are not exported, this will lead to an increase in our emissions output as a sector, thereby impacting our emissions target for 2030.”
Live exports are running 8% ahead of 2023 levels.Bluetongue outbreaks across Europe have helped the demand for Irish cattle.There are real concerns now for the Netherlands market for calves post-2025.
Live exports continue to steam ahead, with 2024 set to be a record year for cattle leaving the country on the hoof.
The most recent set of data from the Department of Agriculture and Food show that live exports are currently running 8% ahead of the same period in 2023.
There have been 297,695 cattle exported from Irish shores up to 15 September this year compared with 276,168 exported during the same period in 2023 and 240,346 head of cattle exported during the same period in 2022.
If we cast our minds back to almost 10 years ago in 2015, Irish cattle exports were just hitting under 150,000 head and this dropped further in 2016 when there was just over 100,000 head of cattle exported from January to September.
Autumn is usually the busiest time for weanling and store exports and speaking to exporters this week, they are expecting one of the busiest autumns on record for Irish cattle exports. They are seeing huge demand from countries like North Africa and Turkey for Irish weanlings and store cattle, with no sign of any letup in demand for the foreseeable future.
Tighter supplies of cattle in the European Union is one of the drivers of the international demand for Irish cattle.
In the December 2023 EU livestock survey, the number of suckler cows in the EU declined for the fourth year in a row, by an additional 160 000 heads (-1.6%). Dairy cows recorded a decline of -344 000 heads (-1.7%). The number of male bovine cattle for slaughtering between one and two years, and above two years also decreased by -0.4% and -1.2%, respectively.
These figures are expected to have an impact on beef availability in the months ahead. Therefore, EU beef production in 2024 is expected to decrease further by 2.3%. It’s a similar story in the UK, with reduced cattle supplies available for slaughter driving Northern Ireland customers south of the border in search of suitable forward store cattle for finishing. This has helped maintain numbers being exported north for further finishing.
Numbers moving north remain on a par with 2023 numbers. Morocco has been the standout market so far in 2024, rising from zero Irish cattle being exported in 2023 to just under 15,000 head so far in 2024.
\ Philip Doyle
The Shorthorn Express livestock carrier is currently situated just off the northeast coast at Greenore Port, ready to load another 2,500 cattle this weekend.
The Shorthorn Express has already brought several shipments of cattle to Morocco and this is expected to continue through the final months of 2024.
Bluetongue
Bluetongue outbreaks across Europe mean that some countries who would have normally provided cattle for markets have been excluded from international trade until they achieve Bluetongue-free status.
Cases have been reported in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland, with over 4,000 confirmed cases in the Netherlands. The first case was confirmed in the UK on 10 November 2023 with further outbreaks in the last few weeks.
The outbreaks could hold affected countries out of international markets for up to two years since the last case was confirmed.
Young bulls from Ireland on a large feedlot outside Ankara, Turkey.
Irish authorities are on high alert as an outbreak of the disease would halt all live exports and deal a severe blow to the Irish beef industry.
The disease, which is spread by biting midges, is at its highest risk of spread between April and November. Cooler temperatures will help to stop the risk of a spread to Irish shores.
The Netherlands has been particularly hard hit, with the disease rampant in cattle herds and sheep flocks.
After a slow start, calf exports picked up pace later in spring 2024 with current calf exports on a par with 2023 exports.
Current exports are the second highest in the last decade with a number of countries shifting away from the young Holstein Friesian calf to older, beef-sired calves. This has led to an increase in the number of beef-sired calves being exported.
Sixty-three per cent of calves exported in 2024 have been beef-sired compared with 54% for the same period in 2023.
A number of newly established eastern European markets have been performing very well with good customer feedback on the health and performance of Irish-bred calves. The only fly in the ointment at the moment is the Netherlands and what will happen the market for Irish calves in the Netherlands post-2025.
Speaking at an Irish Farmers Association meeting in Cavan on Monday night, Bord Bia’s Joe Burke said: “The Dutch market has tended to be our biggest market.
“Dutch veal farmers have indicated they won’t be importing Irish calves post-2025.
“The fact is, we won’t have an IBR control programme in place by 2025 so we will essentially be locked out of that market. We are looking at diversifying our calf markets.
“Producing better-quality calves will lead to better demand. If these 70,000 calves that were previously exported to the Netherlands are not exported, this will lead to an increase in our emissions output as a sector, thereby impacting our emissions target for 2030.”
Live exports are running 8% ahead of 2023 levels.Bluetongue outbreaks across Europe have helped the demand for Irish cattle.There are real concerns now for the Netherlands market for calves post-2025.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: