MORE THAN 150,000 live cattle, mainly calves, have been exported from Ireland so far this year, a 50 per cent increase on the same period last year.
Just over 96,000 calves were exported in the January-April period, a 49 per cent increase on the same period last year, according to Bord Bia figures.
Most of the calves have been exported to the Netherlands which has already taken 40,000 calves in the first three-month period. The Netherlands imported 69,000 calves in 2009.
The Netherlands is the largest veal producer in Europe, and processes over 1.4 million veal animals each year, importing approximately 770,000 new-born calves annually.
Most of these come from Germany followed by Poland and the Republic.
A ban on the import of calves from Britain since late 2008 means that it is no longer a player in the market .
Overall, a total of 98,108 cattle had been exported by this date in 2009, but that has risen to 151,308 this year, an additional 53,200 head or 54.2 per cent increase.
Irish live cattle exports were valued at €158 million last year by the Irish Food Board.
Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, reported up to a 15 per cent drop in spring barley sowings with sowing virtually completed.
Its weekly crop report at the weekend said that crop growth was very poor due to weather conditions during the past few weeks.
It said that last year’s potato harvest was almost complete, with damage varying from 20-100 per cent due to frost and waterlogging.
Growers finishing harvesting were reporting saleable yields of less than 10 tonne per hectare but good progress has been made with the sowing of the 2010 main crop,