Information : Meat

According to the CSO Ireland exported over €4.6 billion worth of meat with a volume of just under 900,000 tonnes in 2024. This includes the following sectors and commodities:

• Beef worth almost €3.05 billion or almost 492,000 tonnes was exported to around 75 countries. Beef exports comprise of over 66% of the total meat exports. Overall beef is Ireland’s second most valuable category of agri-export after Dairy. 
• Pigmeat worth over €888 million, or almost 248,000 tonnes, was exported to almost 80 countries. Pigmeat exports account for approximately 19% of the total meat exports.  
• Sheepmeat worth over €393 million, or almost 53,000 tonnes, was exported to around 40 countries. This equates to almost 9% of the total meat export figure.
• Poultrymeat with a value of €292 million, and a volume of almost 83,000 tonnes, was exported to almost 40 countries with approximately 6.35% of the total meat exports. 

At present Irish meat is exported to around 75 countries globally, both within the European Union on general commercial documents and outside the European Union, either on the basis of bilaterally agreed veterinary health certificates, EU health certificates or on general meat certificates.  Products exported include:

• Beef
• Pigmeat
• Sheepmeat
• Poultry
• Cooked meats

Further information on this trade and these certification conditions is available on this website. Any further queries please email to meatmarketaccess@agriculture.gov.ie