The trade of slaughter-fit cattle to Northern Ireland has collapsed.

There were just 14 cattle exported north last week for direct slaughter and 18 in the previous week. This compares to 727 and 704 head for the corresponding weeks in 2015. Exports for the year to date are running at just 9,519, less than half the number of 22,815 exported for the same period in 2015.

The drop in exports is the latest blow to the trade of live cattle to Northern Ireland for direct slaughter. Issues in getting Irish-born cattle, which became commonly known as nomads, killed in northern processing plants became more difficult in 2014 and continued through 2015.

While this dented exports, there was still a significant number of cattle travelling north on a weekly basis, with the strength of sterling providing scope for wholesale and butcher buyers to source cattle in the south.

The strength of sterling also allowed some agents to trade cattle with a limited number of northern plants and still make a margin after penalties were taken into account.

This trade has been on a declining trend since spring, as sterling weakened in the lead-up to the Brexit vote, with weekly exports averaging between 100 and 200 head.

Sterling fell further after the vote in June and again took another nosedive in recent weeks following the British prime minister announcing a timeline for the UK leaving the EU.

Each of these steps was reflected in a drop in exports to the north and over the last month have effectively shut down with the value of sterling to euro averaging between 89p and 90p.

The fluctuation in exchange rates and processing difficulties have also reduced the purchasing power of farmers and feeders who traditionally sourced good-quality continental stores in midlands and border regions.

This has left a void in demand and is adding to a mart trade which has felt the full brunt of falling factory prices and rapidly deteriorating confidence in winter finishing in 2016/2017.