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Another contract has been signed to export Irish cattle to the Middle East, where general demand for imported meat and livestock is high.
This week, Curzon Livestock agreed a deal to export slaughter weight bulls to Libya. The Co Cork company, owned by James Horgan, will export Friesian bulls of 400kg to 500kg liveweight and beef bulls of 500kg to 600kg.
Curzon will begin buying cattle this week and expects to load its first shipment of more than 3,000 head in late July from Cork Port.
Following this, the firm hopes to send regular shipments under what is an ongoing contract, James Horgan said.
The first consignment will also include a few hundred in-calf heifers which will be sold on to Libyan farmers for breeding purposes.
Need for meat
The Libyan authorities are keen to expand their domestic production but in the short term the country is not self-sufficient in food for its rising population and needs to import both livestock and meat.
Separately, Co Louth based exporter Supreme Livestock continues to assemble Friesian bulls for its export order for Libya and it too plans to deliver the consignment in July.
Many of the cattle for these two orders will be bought directly from farmers, held on the rearing farm and collected just ahead of embarking. To date, just 770 Irish cattle have gone to Libya this year, but that number is now set to increase.
Other livestock exporters continue to negotiate on prices and terms with Turkish buyers. The Irish Farmers Journal understands that two major exporters are looking at jointly filling a contract to reduce the complications around chartering a boat. A general election takes place in Turkey later this month and exporters are hoping it will give a lift to the Turkish lira and boost its buying power.
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