Live cattle exports continue recovery

Marts: Live exports of cattle are showing an increase of 40% as the trade for live animals to international markets continues to recover market share to the export outlets.

Total live exports to mid-November amounted to 230,096 head, which included 102,693 calves and 99,799 weanlings and young stores, with more than 205,000 of the exports going to continental EU markets.

While very substantial recovery in the live export trade is being achieved, there is still ground to be made up in recovery of the pre-BSE and FMD outbreaks and total exports remain at 60% of the throughput in 2000, which was the peak year for live exports of cattle from Ireland.