March 3, 2025

 

Farmers at event in Ireland told of serious shortage of cattle in Europe

 

 

Farmers attending a recent information event in Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland, were told "there is a significant shortage of cattle in Europe" and while the forecast is for a 1% decline in EU beef production, it is expected to be more than this.

 

Speaking at the Irish Hereford Prime event which took place in association with Kepak at the Sheraton Hotel, on February 24, Bord Bia's livestock sector manager, Seamus McMenamin, said: "The EU continues to show decline in their beef production" and that this is due to a number of issues including "profitability, weather-related disruptions, generational renewal – getting young people into the sector.

 

McMenamin added: "There is a significant shortage of cattle in Europe and that is contributing to what the EU is saying is a 1% decline in beef production – I suspect it will be more."

 

Commenting on the supply of factory-fit cattle expected to come available in Ireland this year, the Bord Bia livestock specialist pointed to figures showing a decline of 60,000 head in the availability of slaughter age cattle this year.

 

"That's what's feeding into the expectation that cattle numbers will tighten as the year progresses," McMenamin said.

 

He added that the total beef kill for this year is expected to drop by 70,000-90,000 head for the year with the assumption that age at slaughter and live exports remain at similar levels.

 

On cattle exports, McMenamin said: "[There were] higher levels of older cattle exported in 2024 and then there was a lot of calves exported in 2023 so there was actually two crops of animals taken out of the same batch of calf registrations so that's what's leading to this real tightening in availability."

 

Commenting on the genetics of the calves from the dairy herd destined for beef production, he noted that there is a shift to more beef sired calves as a result of the increased use of sexed semen. He said the number of dairy sired male calves this year dropped 17% and 15% over the previous two years, respectively.

 

Looking at calf export figures, McMenamin said that last year, there were approximately 200,000 calves exported and about 55% of these were beef sired calves.

- Agriland