Live exports increase by 200%
Exports of weanlings and young stores for the first eight months of the year were increased by more than 200% at 36,449 compared to 11,616 for the same period last year. The outflow of the young stock to European feeders is now close to the 2003 level, when almost 41,000 head were exported live in the first eight months.
Exports have been mainly to Spain and Italy with smaller numbers going to other EU markets.
Export buyers for the continental feeders are competing with Irish feeders for weanlings at the mart sales which has strengthened the market for the quality stock this year. While the export trade is good for suckler producers, the drain on the quality stock out of the country will be reflected in lower supplies of quality finished cattle available to beef processors in 2006.
Irish feeders are also finding it harder to compete with the export buyers for the top stock as of the higher return to feeders on the continent from higher beef prices available allowing them the scope to pay stronger prices for weanlings.
Irish finishers will require a strong beef price at the factories in 2006 to justify the cost of these quality weanlings being purchased.
The trade for weanlings in the marts eased slightly this week, partly due to less shipping activity at some of the marts. The most noticeable feature of the trade has been the widening of the price difference with some of the plain weanlings meeting with weak demand and prices showing a substantial reduction on last year.
