Over 50,000 cattle exported from Ireland in first 11 weeks of 2026
Over 50,000 cattle have been exported from Ireland in the first 11 weeks of 2026, latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) have shown.
Week 12 has seen a significant consignment of what is understood to be in the region of 4,500 cattle dispatched from the east coast of Ireland.
These cattle were loaded on the livestock carrier vessel 'Saleh' by Irish-based livestock trading company Viastar.
It is also understood to have been one of the largest-ever single shipments of cattle from Ireland.
The table below details live cattle exports by category in the first 11 weeks of 2024, 2025, and 2026:
| Category | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024/26 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calves | 47,812 | 53,904 | 34,537 | -28% | -36% |
| Weanlings | 7,304 | 13,683 | 6,370 | -13% | -53% |
| Stores | 5,022 | 7,061 | 2,335 | -54% | -67% |
| Adult Cattle | 10,437 | 14,742 | 7,846 | -25% | -47% |
| Total | 70,575 | 89,390 | 51,088 | -28% | -43% |
As can be seen in the above table, Irish cattle export numbers have fallen in all categories with total cattle export numbers down by 43% to date.
Calf exports have reduced by over 19,000 head to date this year. 53,900 calves were exported from Ireland in the first 11 weeks of last year versus 34,500 in the same time of this year.
The table below details the number of Irish cattle (including calves) exported to each country in the first 11 weeks of 2024, 2025 and 2026:
| Category | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 18,152 | 31,578 | 17,438 | -45% |
| Netherlands | 20,051 | 17,224 | 13,567 | -21% |
| Italy | 7,041 | 10,067 | 8,072 | -20% |
| Northern Ireland | 8,899 | 13,883 | 6,201 | -55% |
| Algeria | 1,964 | 1,967 | 1,633 | -17% |
| Croatia | 398 | 912 | 1,602 | 76% |
| Hungary | 59 | 546 | 1,517 | 178% |
| Greece | 748 | 1,112 | 468 | -58% |
| Tunisia | 109 | 281 | 325 | 16% |
| Portugal | 0 | 551 | 124 | -77% |
| Slovenia | 0 | 130 | 68 | -48% |
| Romania | 1,944 | 389 | 58 | -85% |
| Great Britain | 1,171 | 383 | 13 | -97% |
| Germany | 0 | 0 | 2 | - |
| Other | 10,039 | 10,367 | 0 | -100% |
| Total | 70,575 | 89,390 | 51,088 | -43% |
As can be seen in the above table, Spain is the largest export market destination for Irish cattle to date this year followed by the Netherlands.
Irish cattle exports to these countries are down by 45% and 21% respectively.
2026 has seen a slow start to the year for Irish cattle exports. A combination of weather-related delays to sailings and health cert issues relating to bluetongue reduced the export trade at the start of the year.
Cattle export numbers have picked up in the past three weeks and health cert issues have been resolved in most cases.
Spain and the Netherlands are the key export outlets for Irish calves and remain open to Irish caves.
