Cattle exports continue to lag behind 2025 levels by 10%, according to a recent update from Bord Bia.

By the end of the third week of September, 284,811 head had left the state, 31,334 head below the same point last year.

In the four weeks up to that point, there were approximately 1,000 fewer cattle shipped compared to last year, but it is 12,000 head fewer than the same period in 2024.

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Challenging conditions have prevailed in some markets on the continent and some shippers are reporting demand in those outlets is not as strong as last year.

Improving beef prices in Northern Ireland have seen an uplift in trade and mart managers have reported much more activity from Northern buyers of late, with forward stores and cull cows firmly in their sights.

To date, 35,072 head of cattle have headed to the North, back 7% on last year.

The number of calves and weanlings continue to trade at 2% and 5% behind last year but the store trade has seen an increase of 10%, with 31,184 store cattle sold out of the country.

Vaccinating weanlings

Meanwhile, Roscommon-based exporters Maxwell Livestock expect to send 8,000 weanling bulls to North Africa and Greece in the next quarter. Speaking at an event in Macroom Mart on Friday evening last, Michael Maxwell complimented farmers for the increased number of weanlings vaccinated for pneumonia on the market. However, he said much of the animal’s health, and ultimately their export outlet, is in the control of the farmer.

“If you haven’t the cattle in prime health, travelling well, arriving well, going on for the people the other side, you cannot market them.

“When those cattle go to the market on the far side, they don’t give any trouble and them people are back looking for more. The people in north Africa will not buy the cattle unless the health status is top,” Maxwell added.