April 19, 2006

Ireland's live cattle exports up by one third

Live cattle exports from Ireland climbed about 35 percent over the same period last year on strong demand from the EU.

43,844 cattle have been exported as of Mar 19, compared to 32,585 for the same period last year.

Senator Eamon Scanlon hailed the news as a major boost for the livestock industry. He also pointed to a generally good performance for beef exports in 2005.

Ireland exported 93 percent of its production last year. 524,000 tonnes of beef were produced, with 487,000 tonnes exported, he said. Roughly half of this went to the EU while the other half went to the UK.

Ireland is one of the top exporters of beef to Europe, where a widening gap between consumption and production is creating an estimated 350,000 tonne deficit this year.

The senator gave an optimistic forecast for 2006, predicting a 5 percent increase in export volume.

He said the government would continue to ensure that Ireland's animal health status allow producers to have access to markets in the EU and elsewhere.