DUBLIN: Shipments of Irish beef to the UK are back 4% on the year at 16,000t, a drop which AHDB contributes entirely as a result of lower imports of frozen boneless product.
According to AHDB, it is possible that the increased impetus in the US for this product in recent months may have contributed to the fall. However, it states that overall volumes moving from Ireland to the US remain well below expectations.
The first plants were only approved in February and in reality only two were exporting up to June and the addition of two new plants in May and June increasing shipments has driven the trade up, according to AHDB. Overall imports of beef into the UK were on a par with last year at 23,500t.
Shipments from the Netherlands to the UK amounted to 1,500t, up 6%, compared to September 2014 and from Poland volumes more than doubled, AHDB states.
The relationship between the euro and Sterling continues to play a role in the competitiveness of the UK market for other EU importers in particular and in the year to date imports are now up over 10% on the year, which AHDB entirely attributes to more product coming from other Member States.
However, despite the 22% year-on-year fall trade actually performed better than the previous month despite lower production in the UK, it states. Lower shipments to other EU Member States were again the predominant reason for the fall in shipments, according to AHDB.
Germany was one of the very few markets to which exports increased, however, it states they still remain a small proportion of the UK export market. In the year to date exports, according to AHDB, totalled 71,700t, 13% down on the year.
