4 days ago
2025 cattle exports up 32,500 head but slowing in recent weeks
2025 cattle export numbers to date are up 32,500 head on 2024 figures, but the export trade has "levelled off" in the past few weeks.
Industry sources have told Agriland that factors on mainland Europe - including restrictions relating to Lumpy Skin disease in Europe, and high temperatures and price - have reduced export demand for weanlings and store cattle in recent weeks.
Demand for heavy cattle from Northern Ireland had been strong in the early months of this year, with almost 32,200 cattle exported cross-border as of Sunday, July 27, up 13% on 2024 levels.
Industry sources have also told Agriland that cross-border demand for Irish cattle is now "back to lower levels", as numbers of cattle available in Northern Ireland has improved for the short-term at least.
Despite this, sources have said they are confident of export demand picking up again into the autumn.
The table below details Irish cattle exports by type for the first 30 weeks of 2023, 2024, and 2025:
2023 2024 2025 2023/25 2024/25 Calves: 202,269 194,301 220,410 +9% +13% Weanlings: 19,417 23,496 29,331 +51% +25% Stores: 16,157 21,644 20,963 +30% -3% Adult Cattle: 20995 26,014 27,246 +30% +5% Total: 258838 265,455 297,950 +15% +12%
Calf exports are up 13% to over 220,000 head, with weanling exports up 25% to over 29,000 head.
Store cattle exports are down 3% and adult cattle exports are up 5%.
For the purpose of the table above, calves are classified as all cattle under six-weeks-of-age, weanlings are all cattle from six-weeks-of-age to six-months-of-age, store cattle are all cattle from six-months-of-age to 24-months-of-age, and adult cattle are all cattle from 24-months-of-age upwards.
The table below shows Irish cattle exports by destination for the first 30 weeks of 2023, 2024, and 2025:
2023 2024 2025 2024/25 Spain 62,015 79,954 100,328 +25% The Netherlands 106,526 78,146 85,067 +% Northern Ireland 28,524 28,432 32,180 +13% Italy 27,738 26,848 31,057 +16% Poland 14,181 16,305 26,946 +% Great Britain 1,648 3,476 3,160 -9% Greece 1,142 2,141 2,763 +29% Croatia - 3,731 2,621 -30% Morocco - 7,322 2,302 -69% Algeria 518 2,037 1,967 -3% Israel 3,443 5,481 1,855 -66% Romania 2,458 4,923 1,479 -70% Hungary 3,841 4,647 1,390 -70% Tunisia 125 635 1,247 +96% Portugal 239 - 1,063 - Lithuania - 210 1,046 +398% Other 6,440 1,167 1,479 +27% Total 258,838 265,455 297,950 +12%
Over 100,000 cattle have been sold to Spain to date this year, making it the largest export market destination for Irish cattle, followed by The Netherlands at 85,000 head.
Northern Ireland, Italy and Poland are the third, fourth and fifth largest market destinations, with Irish cattle exports to Poland up by over 10,000 head in 2025.
