Some 2,000 factory-weight bulls were loaded on to a livestock carrier boat on Monday and are now on the way to Turkey.

The boat is sailing in good weather and will arrive in about a week. The exporter involved has indicated he will wait until the cattle are unloaded and the transaction completed and then – if figures stack up – will look to arrange a follow-on shipment.

That means it is likely to be a month before a second shipment takes place. A practical issue is that only two other livestock carriers are currently approved under the stringent veterinary and marine standards of the Department of Agriculture. One is on the way to Brazil to collect cattle and the other is moored in an Israeli port.

Second trip

It would be the middle of next month before the ship now on the way to Turkey would make it back to Ireland, if chartered for a second trip.

Monday’s shipment took cattle of 500kg-600kg sourced from three feedlots. The animals were assembled and weighed on Monday morning at three yards in the northeast, including at Ardee Mart, and went straight for boarding on to the Atlantic M specialist livestock carrier.

Cattle agents and marts claim a second shipment may include younger cattle suitable for feeding on by Turkish finishers which, if so, would provide a shot in the arm to the weanling trade. Demand and prices for beef and other meats remain very strong in Turkey and the market wants most of this provided as live imports.

Improved trade

Meanwhile, marts report an improved trade for weanlings, with quality and demand both improving. This led to a slight increase in prices over the past week. Feeding bulls over 400kg have remained steady at €2.10/kg to €2.50/kg for average to top-quality types. Exporter demand has improved for bulls under 300kg, while those from 300kg to 400kg are making from €750 to €950. Heifers have been met with similar price rises of 7c/kg-12c/kg .