Bord Bia is predicting a 120,000 fall in the Irish cattle kill in 2021.

It had originally projected an 80,000 head fall earlier this year but revised the figures this week.

Bord Bia’s Joe Burke said the reduction arises because of “particularly strong calf exports in 2019, coupled with more male animals now being finished as steers and therefore being pushed out into the 2022 kill”.

He added: “The continued rise in live exports to Northern Ireland is also contributing to our projections.”

The latest projections from Bord Bia would indicate that finished cattle supplies will remain tight for the foreseeable future.

Prices have continued to rise this week with heifers now at €4.15-€4.20/kg base price and bullocks being quoted at €4.05-€4.10/kg.

Cows have seen a huge lift in price over the last week, with as much as €3.85/kg now being paid for good R grade cows.

Speaking on the outlook for international beef markets, Burke said: “There are a few interesting developments taking place across some of our key markets which will help drive demand for Irish beef over the coming months.

“In the UK we are starting to see a recovery in consumption, as the food service sector is allowed to reopen.

“Similarly, there are some early signs of improvement across some key European markets, with cattle prices rising steadily in Germany and Italy in recent weeks.”