Europe offers some beef hope

BEEF markets remain under pressure but a tightening supply and more stable demand in Europe offer the prospect of some improvement as the year progresses, according to Bord Bia’s director of meat Gerard Brickley.

He said 60,000 tonnes less beef were eaten in Britain last year than the year before, a drop of 5% in consumption.

In the first two months of this year the supply of cattle to Britain and Northern Ireland increased by 2.5% to 3%, and the supply of cattle to Irish meat plants was up 13.6%, compared to the previous year, with no improvement in the market.