Intelligence

Latest UK and Ireland slaughter statistics

22/10/2003

UK figures Supplied by Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Irish figures courtesy of Central Statistics Office of Ireland (CSO).

Table 1: UK Monthly Slaughter Estimates

All figures expressed as '000 head

United Kingdom               July  2003                   August  2003               September  2003

                                           5 weeks                       4 weeks                      4 weeks

Steers                                      87                                73                                87

Heifers                                    67                                51                                 57

Young Bulls                               46                                30                                30

Cows and Adult Bulls                0                                  0                                  0

Calves                                       7                                  7                                  9

Other Sheep and Lambs            1207                             1049                             1193

Ewes and Rams                         181                               151                               160

Clean Pigs                                 840                              676                              727

Sows and Boars                        20                                17                                 18

           

Table 2: Irish livestock slaughterings, August 2003

All figures expressed as '000 head

Cattle                           Sheep                           Pigs

Aug 2002                     142.2                            325.8                           292.5

Aug 2003                     140.8                            310.0                            224.9

% change                      -1.0%                            -4.8%                           -23.1%

Jan-Aug 2003/2002     +4.8%                           +0.3%                           -7.1%

 

Cattle slaughterings up 6.0% in August

 

The number of cattle slaughtered in August 2003 was 6.0% higher than in August

2002.

 

A comparison of August 2003 and 2002 figures shows that:

Sheep slaughterings decreased by 21.7%.

Pig slaughterings decreased by 5.7%.

 

The number of sheep slaughterings in January-August 2003 was 0.3% higher than the corresponding 2002 figure. Over the same period there was an increase of 4.8% in the number of cattle slaughterings, while pig slaughterings decreased by 7.1 %.

 

EU sheep slaughterings figures for the periods January to April 2002 and 2003 decreased by 1.8%. France and the United Kingdom recorded increases of 3.8% and 0.8% respectively. Spain and Greece recorded decreases of 5.8% and 5.3% respectively.