Calf, weanling live exports down

Marts: Live exports of calves and weanlings have shown a sharp fall for the first four months of 2004, after staging a partial recovery of the 2001 decline last year.

Combined exports of calves and weanlings to the first week of May show a drop of 46% on the same period last year and represent only a trickle of the level achieved in 2000 the year prior to foot-and-mouth controls.

Higher prices for calves and weanlings in Ireland this year, compared to the Continent contributed to the fall off in exports with livestock exporters unable to compete for the supply of the young stock to continental customers.