Ireland continues to dominate the UK’s beef import market

Ireland continued to dominate the UK’s beef import market in March, according to the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

The UK takes about half of Ireland’s beef production, and the latest trade figures, for March, indicate imports of 20,000 tonnes, ahead by 4% year-on-year.

According to the AHDB, March imports of beef and veal were relatively unchanged compared to the corresponding month in 2016, totalling just over 21,000 tonnes.

In contrast, AHDB monitoring indicates that Irish cow beef exports to France fell 10% in the first four months of 2017.

Ireland may have lost out due to the more than 40% increase in Dutch cow slaughterings in 2017, required to reduce output of phosphates from the Dutch dairy industry.

The EU market seems to have absorbed the extra Dutch supply, helped by reduced cullings in many countries, according to the AHDB, which says the sharp rise in the Netherlands’ cow cull seems to be ending. There is uncertainty about how much increased cow culling is still required, but it is known that that culling compensation payments to Dutch dairy farmers are due to be reduced on July 1.

Irish exporters may also have lost out to Poland, sending 6% extra cow beef to France.

Imports of beef into France are falling for a third year in a row, but at a declining rate, down only 4% in the first four months of 2017. And consumption of the ground beef which is a key market for cow beef is recovering.

France’s own cow beef production has been in decline.