Sheep slaughterings decreased by 15.7% in May 2024 when compared with the same month in 2023, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
This represents a decrease of approximately 211,000 heads during the period, according to the CSO livestock slaughtering figures published today (Wednesday, June 26).
Between January to May, the slaughterings decreased by 7.9% for sheep, or almost 100,000 heads, to almost 1.2 million heads compared to the same period in 2023.
For cattle slaughterings during the first five months of the year, the figures show an increase of 3.4%, estimated to be over 789,000 heads.
However, cattle slaughterings dropped by 1.9% or almost 3,000 heads, to around 151,000 heads in May 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Slaughterings
Pig slaughterings are estimated to be approximately 1.4 million heads for January to May 2024, up by over 6,000 heads or 0.4% on the same period in 2023.
The number of pigs slaughtered in May 2024 decreased by nearly 3,000 heads or 1% to approximately 286,000 heads when compared with May 2023.
Statistician in the agriculture accounts and production section, Mairead Griffin said: “Cattle slaughterings dropped by 1.9% to almost 151,000 heads in May 2024 when compared with May 2023.
“During the same period, the number of sheep slaughtered decreased by 15.7% to approximately 211,000 heads, while pig slaughterings fell by 1% to nearly 286,000 heads.”
Sheep
Meanwhile, sheep kill figures have reached peak heights to-date in 2024 as the Eid al-Adha festival has drawn to a close.
The most recent sheep kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) have shown that 63,325 sheep were slaughtered during week 24 (ending June 16).
The weekly throughput is at the highest it has been since week 11 of this year, when there were 61,374 sheep slaughtered, 56,210 of which were hoggets.
Spring lamb throughput remains down on this time last year by over 32,000 head and 75,013 fewer hoggets have been slaughtered to-date this year.
Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,147,586 sheep have been processed so far in 2024.