CSO - Central Statistics Office Ireland

07/26/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/26/2024 04:16

Livestock Slaughterings June 2024

In the first six months of 2024, the number of Sheep slaughtered fell by 9.7% on the same period in 2023

Online ISSN: 2009-5651
CSO statistical publication, 26 July 2024, 11am

Key Findings

  • Between January and June 2024, Cattle slaughterings increased by 0.6% when compared with the same period in 2023.

  • In the first six months of the year, Sheep slaughterings decreased by 9.7% on the same period in 2023.

  • The number of Pigs slaughtered in the year to June 2024 fell by 1.4% when compared with the same six months in 2023.

  • An analysis of the data for June 2024 compared with June 2023 shows that Cattle slaughterings contracted by 13.9%.

  • The number of Sheep slaughtered declined by 19.0% in June 2024 when compared with the same month in 2023.

  • Pig slaughterings dropped by 10.9% in June 2024 when compared with June 2023.

Statistician's Comment

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (26 July 2024) released Livestock Slaughterings June 2024.

Commenting on the release, Mairead Griffin, Statistician in the Agriculture Accounts & Production Section, said: "Cattle slaughterings decreased by 13.9% to over 128,000 heads in June 2024 when compared with June 2023. During the same period, the number of Sheep slaughtered fell by 19% to approximately 223,000 heads, while Pig slaughterings contracted by 10.9% to over 244,000 heads.

Further analysis of the data shows that between January and June 2024, Cattle slaughterings rose by 0.6% to over 917,000 heads while the number of Sheep slaughtered declined by 9.7% to almost 1.4m heads. Pig slaughterings dropped by 1.4% to over 1.6m heads over the same six-month period."

Main Results

Table 1.1: Livestock Slaughterings - June 2024
Cattle Sheep Pigs
'000 heads
Jun 2023 148.9 275.7 274.2
Jun 2024 128.2 223.3 244.4
% change
Jun 2024/2023 -13.9% -19.0% -10.9%
Jan-Jun 2024/2023 0.6% -9.7% -1.4%

Year-to-Date findings: January 2024 to June 2024

Cattle slaughterings in the year to June 2024 are estimated to be over 917,000 heads, an increase of more than 5,000 heads (+0.6%) when compared with the same period in 2023.

During the same period in 2024, Sheep slaughterings decreased by almost 150,000 heads (-9.7%) to nearly 1.4m heads when compared with the same six months in 2023.

Pig slaughterings are estimated to be approximately 1.6m heads for January to June 2024, down almost 24,000 heads (-1.4%) on the same period in 2023.

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Created with Highcharts 9.3.3Chart context menuSource: CSO IrelandCattleSheepPigsHighcharts.comFigure 1.1: January-June Slaughterings
2022
2023
2024
0500100015002000
'000 heads
X-axis label 2022 2023 2024
Cattle 937.118 912.06 917.422
Sheep 1468.4824 1536.877 1387.072
Pigs 1858.824 1662.732 1639.008

Monthly findings: June 2024

The number of Cattle slaughtered in June 2024 fell by almost 21,000 heads (-13.9%) to over 128,000 heads when compared with June 2023.

Sheep slaughterings in June 2024 were approximately 223,000 heads, down by over 52,000 heads (-19.0%) when compared with the same month in 2023.

The number of Pigs slaughtered in June 2024 contracted by nearly 30,000 heads (-10.9%) to approximately 244,000 heads when compared with June 2023.

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Created with Highcharts 9.3.3Chart context menuSource: CSO IrelandJan 2023Feb 2023Mar 2023Apr 2023May 2023Jun 2023Jul 2023Aug 2023Sep 2023Oct 2023Nov 2023Dec 2023Jan 2024Feb 2024Mar 2024Apr 2024May 2024Jun 2024Highcharts.comFigure 1.2: Monthly Slaughterings, 2023-2024
Cattle
Sheep
Pigs
0100200300400
'000 heads
X-axis label Cattle Sheep Pigs
Jan 2023 153.475 252.711 296.318
Feb 2023 156.219 222.126 255.189
Mar 2023 165.328 286.653 298.182
Apr 2023 134.284 249.349 250.594
May 2023 153.832 250.324 288.265
Jun 2023 148.922 275.714 274.184
Jul 2023 144.298 248.769 261.821
Aug 2023 162.138 281.767 287.852
Sep 2023 152.644 273.86 264.895
Oct 2023 174.86 277.641 271.642
Nov 2023 181.631 293.386 307.246
Dec 2023 142.859 256.257 255.717
Jan 2024 166.064 259.978 298.046
Feb 2024 164.074 217.335 264.223
Mar 2024 153.142 272.073 273.695
Apr 2024 155.003 200.537 273.185
May 2024 150.906 213.825 285.49
Jun 2024 128.233 223.324 244.369
Table 1.2: Livestock Slaughterings June 2024
Table 1.2: Livestock Slaughterings June 2024
Category Year Unit Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 3
Cattle 2022 '000 heads 143.9 159.3 173.4 161.2 154.8 144.6 148.0 166.5 171.0 167.8 180.0 141.2 1911.6
2023 153.5 156.2 165.3 134.3 153.8 148.9 144.3 162.1 152.6 174.9 181.6 142.9 1870.5
2024 166.1 ² 164.1 153.1 155.0 150.9 ² 128.2 917.4
Sheep 2022 '000 heads 226.9 234.5 252.0 265.8 236.3 253.0 281.8 298.7 311.5 276.4 288.9 271.3 3197.1
2023 252.7 222.1 286.7 249.3 250.3 275.7 248.8 281.8 273.9 277.6 293.4 256.3 3168.6
2024 260.0 ² 217.3 ² 272.1 200.5 ² 213.8 ² 223.3 1387.1
Pigs 2022 '000 heads 295.9 304.0 324.7 312.1 320.5 301.7 290.4 300.3 301.2 280.9 322.9 281.0 3635.5
2023 296.3 255.2 298.2 250.6 288.3 274.2 261.8 287.9 264.9 271.6 307.2 255.7 3311.9
2024 298.0 264.2 273.7 273.2 285.5 244.4 1639.0
Cattle 2022 '000 tonnes1 47.4 49.7 53.4 51.8 50.8 48.2 49.3 56.0 57.6 55.4 57.1 44.7 621.4
2023 49.5 47.9 49.6 42.7 51.0 49.3 47.3 53.5 50.3 56.7 57.1 44.7 599.5
2024 52.8 51.5 46.7 48.9 48.8 41.3 290.1
Sheep 2022 '000 tonnes1 5.0 5.3 5.7 5.9 5.0 5.3 5.7 6.2 6.5 5.8 6.1 5.7 68.2
2023 5.7 5.0 6.4 5.6 5.6 6.0 5.3 6.1 6.0 6.1 6.4 5.6 69.7
2024 5.8 4.9 6.0 4.5 4.8 ² 4.8 30.9
Pigs 2022 '000 tonnes1 28.0 28.7 30.1 29.4 30.2 27.2 25.5 26.3 27.2 25.3 29.4 25.2 332.6
2023 27.3 23.4 27.3 22.8 26.2 24.5 23.3 25.8 23.7 24.6 28.2 23.2 300.3
2024 28.0 24.7 25.4 25.4 26.5 ² 22.7 152.8
1 Carcass weight
2 Revised
3 Totals may not equal the sum of the categories due to rounding differences.