Beef factories are benefiting from higher returns from selling offal to international markets.

New figures show that the so-called fifth quarter is now worth €135 per animal slaughtered.

Offal exports from Ireland were worth €230m in 2017, according to Bord Bia, and helped to drive beef exports to a record €2.5bn.

Offal and byproducts are harvested from carcases before they pass the factory weighing scales. Offal, which includes livers, hearts and kidneys, is sold in the EU and increasingly in the growing markets of Africa and Asia.

Watch an interview with Bord Bia's markets director Padraig Brennan below:

The market for these products outside of Europe adds value to the whole animal, along with the prime cuts.

If the huge Chinese market opens fully to Irish beef exports in 2018, as hoped, it could offer a bigger and a more lucrative outlet for offal sales.

Cattle numbers and beef production rose in 2017 and a further rise is expected this year. Nonetheless, beef finishers and processors start 2018 with more confidence than 12 months ago.

While Brexit remains a future threat, demand in the UK for Irish beef is strong.

Watch an interview with Bord Bia's beef and livestock sector manager Joe Burke below:

Tight global supplies and strong consumer demand in many international markets is also helping Irish exports and beef cattle prices at the moment.

Farmers have not seen any clear benefit from the buoyant offal trade in the beef price paid by factories.

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