{"id":1337188,"date":"2024-06-26T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.agriland.ie\/?p=1337188"},"modified":"2024-06-26T12:57:14","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T11:57:14","slug":"cso-sheep-slaughterings-down-over-15-on-last-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lightsail.agriland.ie\/farming-news\/cso-sheep-slaughterings-down-over-15-on-last-year\/","title":{"rendered":"CSO: Sheep slaughterings down over 15% on last year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sheep slaughterings decreased by 15.7% in May 2024 when compared with the same month in 2023, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This represents a decrease of approximately\u00a0211,000 heads during the period, according to the CSO livestock slaughtering figures published today (Wednesday, June 26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between January to May, the slaughterings decreased by 7.9% for sheep, or\u00a0almost\u00a0100,000 heads, to\u00a0almost 1.2 million heads\u00a0compared to the same period in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For cattle slaughterings during the first five months of the year, the figures show an increase\u00a0of 3.4%, estimated to be over 789,000 heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, cattle slaughterings dropped by 1.9% or\u00a0almost\u00a03,000 heads, to\u00a0around\u00a0151,000 heads in May 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slaughterings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pig slaughterings are estimated\u00a0to be approximately\u00a01.4 million heads\u00a0for January to May 2024,\u00a0up by over\u00a06,000 heads or 0.4% on the same period in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number of pigs slaughtered in May 2024\u00a0decreased by\u00a0nearly\u00a03,000 heads or 1% to\u00a0approximately\u00a0286,000 heads when compared with May 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Image source: CSO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Statistician in the agriculture accounts and production section, Mairead Griffin said: “Cattle slaughterings\u00a0dropped by 1.9% to\u00a0almost\u00a0151,000 heads in May 2024 when compared with May 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“During the same period, the number of sheep slaughtered decreased by 15.7%\u00a0to approximately\u00a0211,000 heads, while pig slaughterings\u00a0fell by 1%\u00a0to nearly\u00a0286,000 heads.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sheep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, sheep kill<\/a> figures have reached peak heights to-date in 2024 as the Eid al-Adha\u00a0festival has drawn to a close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a look at this year\u2019s throughput figures to date,\u00a01,147,586\u00a0sheep\u00a0have been processed so far in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n