Despite being the most difficult 12 months for beef producers in the last 30 years, 1998 saw the volume of beef exports increase by 10 per cent on the previous year to half a million tonnes.
The chief executive of An Bord Bia, Mr Michael Duffy, said the increase in cattle disposals coupled with the reduction of beef sold into intervention had contributed to the rise. The record exports of beef had also been helped by a recovery in exports to continental Europe.
"The principal features of the EU beef market in 1998 were a drop of almost 4 per cent in production while the gradual recovery in consumption levels continued," he said. "Exports of Irish beef to continental Europe performed strongly during 1998 with an increase of over 40 per cent recorded. The volume of beef exports to international markets increased slightly on 1997 levels despite the downturn in the Russian market from August."
Cattle disposals were 12 per cent ahead of 1997 levels at almost 1.9 million head, with meat plant supplies increasing 6 per cent, while live exports increased by 100,000 head to 160,000. Most of this increase, Mr Duffy said, was due to the strong performance of live exports to continental Europe. However, because of lower carcass weights this year, the amount of beef produced was only 3 per cent higher.
He reported a drop of 11 per cent in the level of exports to the UK, where the board estimated 85,000 tonnes had been exported.
Sheep supplies increased by 11 per cent to 3.45 million head, and as a result sheep-meat exports increased to around 58,000 tonnes.
Lamb prices fell by almost 18 per cent as a result of the loss in the value of lamb skins and a large carry-over of stock from 1997.
France remained the principal market for sheep-meat, accounting for over 70 per cent of exports.
The pig-meat sector also had a difficult year, but supplies at export plants increased by almost 300,000 head or 11 per cent to 3.05 million head. Prices for E-grade pigs fell by about 19 per cent during the year.
Mr Duffy estimated that the volume of pig-meat exports was projected to increase by up to 15 per cent in 1998 with the British, French, German and Italian markets performing well, offsetting the weak demand in Japan and the loss of the Russian market from August.