Ireland-Live Cattle exports good.

IRELAND-LIVE SHIPPING TRADE PICKS UP WELL.

Live exports of cattle rose by nearly 60pc for the first two months of the year compared with the same period in 2008.

The latest figures from Bord Bia show that 29,232 live cattle were exported up to the end of February. This compares favourably to the 18,645 live cattle exported for the same period in 2008.

There was a total increase in exports of 57pc between 2008 and 2009.

Exports to Northern Ireland saw the most significant increase, up 120pc on the same period last year. Some 6,570 cattle have been exported to the North so far in 2009, compared to 2,958 last year. Exports of finished animals for direct slaughter in the North rose from 1,957 in 2008 to 5,014 in January and February this year.

Finished

Joe Burke from the meat division of Bord Bia said the 150pc increase was due to a deficit of finished beef cattle in the North.

British farmers have increased the number of store cattle they buy in the North for finishing.

The other markets for Irish cattle have also performed well in the past two months. Exports to Italy for this period were up by 20pc from 4,521 in 2008 to 5,389 this year.

Shipments to Spain rose 75pc, up from 2,577 last year to 4,523 in this year. Within this Spanish figure, exports of calves rose from 1,886 to 3,087, a 65pc increase.

Exports of weanlings and store cattle rose from 682 to 1,434.

Calf exports to the Netherlands have also increased.

They rose by 33pc from 5,836 in 2008 to 7,739 for the same two-month period this year.

Some 3,673 calves were exported to Holland in the last week of February, according to the Bord Bia figures. Mr Burke said live exports were much more positive than expected for the early part of 2009.

"Exports started much slower last year but there is a big difference for 2009," he said.

The export trade appeared to have recovered quickly from the pork scare in December and the critical Italian market had recovered well, he added.

"For the first couple of weeks it was clear that the market was in recovery, but once buyers received clarification from both the Italian and Irish authorities, we saw a lift," continued Mr Burke.