Up to 10,000 bulls will be shipped out of the country in the next six weeks as live cattle exports step up a gear, the Irish Farmers Journal has learned.

Purcell Brothers is buying 2,500 heavy bulls – mostly Friesian – for a Libyan order which it says will depart early next month. That follows a previous Libyan consignment of 1,900 in March.

Meanwhile, a Leinster-based exporter has also started buying to fill an order for over 3,000 bulls. This consignment, too, is destined for Libya.

Finally, Global Livestock Ltd and Castleisland Mart have bought 3,500 weanling bulls for Turkey.

These cattle have now entered quarantine and will depart in four weeks’ time.

Exports to non-EU markets have been slow to start in 2019, but exporters are now optimistic about further orders over coming months.

There are cattle buyers from both Turkey and Libya in the country this week looking at stock.

Meanwhile, exports of younger stock to EU markets – especially calves – are already running strongly ahead of last year at almost 90,000 head.

The flow of export orders will give a boost to the cattle trade and help mart prices.

See MartWatch, p62