Irish beef sector shows signs of growth in Q1
Bord Bia reported an increase of 8% in throughput of all cattle in Ireland, totaling 470,000 head in the first three months of 2019. “Prime cattle throughput rose by 8%, mostly driven by an increase in heifer slaughter (+12%) as steer slaughter remained steady on the year. Live cattle exports for the first quarter of 2019 were up 35% on the year before, potentially reducing domestic supplies and creating a need for higher slaughter”, observes Annah Clarke, Analyst at AHDB.
The export of fresh and frozen beef has been supported by increased demand from the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany. Growth was also seen to key non-EU countries, especially Hong Kong, China, and the Philippines, which helped the sector to increase exports by 10% during the first two months of the year. “Bord Bia has forecast lower year-on-year availability of prime cattle for 2019, and so as with our forecast for the UK beef sector, that although ahead, for now, supplies will become tighter later in the year”, believes Clarke.
In March, representatives from the Irish beef sector have complained about losing more than € 100 million due to Brexit uncertainties. A large part of the beef produced in Ireland is shipped to the UK market and British producers are using Irish facilities to process their beef in a carousel economy.
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