The number of cattle processed at Irish beef export plants in the first six months of this year has fallen by 6 per cent, mirroring the impact of the live cattle trade on the sector.
Figures released at the weekend by An Bord Bia showed that 919,000 cattle were processed at the export meat plants, 63,000 head lower than in the same period last year.
The report said the main reason for this decrease was a fall in the supply of bullocks. The period under review also included the blockade of meat plants by the Irish Farmers' Association, which saw all the plants close down for nearly a fortnight.
However, according to Bord Bia, there was a very high throughput of bullocks in the last quarter of last year, but figures also show signs of reduced finished cattle supplies due to high live exports of younger cattle.
In all, 416,000 cattle were exported live from the State in 1999. This trend has continued this year. The latest figures show that 248,392 animals have been exported live from Ireland since the beginning of the year.
There has been a huge increase in the export of calves and younger cattle to the Continent, which this year so far stands at over 190,000 cattle.