Live exports below last year’s level

LIVE exports continue to trail 2003 levels with a sharp fall in exports of calves and weanlings for the year to date as markets reacted to the higher prices.

Live exports of calves to the end of October were down over 42% on the same period last year resulting in a drop of over 26,000 head in the number of calves exported live for the 10 months.

Live exports of weanlings and young store cattle dropped to one third of last years level with 23,000 head sold on the live export market compared to 66,000 for the first 10 months of last year.