A total of 8,273 calves were exported form the Republic of Ireland in the week ending 22 March, down from 9,431 the previous week. As usual, the Netherlands was the biggest market, taking 4,921 calves. The other big buyer, Spain, took 2,815. France took 387 calves and Northern Ireland the remaining 150.

The next largest category of exported animals was finished cattle, with 1,154 leaving in total. Northern Ireland was the main buyer here, taking 865, while Italy took 146 and the remainder were spread across the Netherlands, England, Scotland and Wales.

A small number of stores and weanlings were exported, with Northern Ireland taking 122 stores and 61 weanlings. Italy took 51 stores and 72 weanlings. Twenty-eight store heifers and four weanlings went to England and 11 store heifers to Scotland.

Overall, 58,447 cattle have been exported live so far this year, down 10,520 on same period last year. This figure masks some notable changes in the trade. The biggest single fall has been Belgium, down 9,501 this year so far, due to new IBR restrictions. There have also been large falls in exports to Spain (2,058) and Italy (1,958). Last year, Libya had a shipment of 4,193 cattle, which hasn’t been repeated this year.

Elsewhere, there have been big increases of exports to Northern Ireland – up 3,828 head this year so far, a 40% increase on the same period in 2014. France has also shown an increase of 1,798 cattle – more than twice as many as in the same period in 2014.