Latest UK and Ireland Slaughter Statistics
UK figures supplied by Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Irish figures courtesy of Central Statistics Office of Ireland (CSO).
All figures expressed as ‘000 head
January 2008
Monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat in the United Kingdom are given in the table below. They are shown in statistical months.
Table 1: UK monthly slaughter estimates
November 2008 December 2008 January 2009
4 weeks 4 weeks 5 weeks
Steers 79 72 88
Heifers 62 59 80
Young Bulls 19 18 21
Cows and Adult Bulls 58 46 51
Calves 5 4 3
Other Sheep and Lambs 1290 1294 1277
Ewes and Rams 191 210 209
Clean Pigs 737 693 818
Sows and Boars 16 14 19
Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings
January 2009
Cattle Sheep Pigs
January 2008 137.2 212.4 233.4
January 2009 113.1 214.5 213.5
% change -17.6% +1.0% -8.5%
The number of cattle slaughtered in January 2009 was 17.6% lower than in January 2008.
A comparison of January 2009 and 2008 figures showed that:
- Sheep slaughterings increased by 1.0%.
- Pig slaughterings decreased by 8.5%.
Between the periods January to November 2007 and 2008, Spain, Ireland, France and Greece recorded decreases in sheep slaughterings of 20.2%, 12.9%, 6.5% and 1.4% respectively. During the same period, the UK recorded an increase of 6.2%.
