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  

                                             April 2005       May 2005       June 2005

  5 weeks              4 weeks               4 weeks

Steers                                              105                        81                       74

Heifers                                              70                       54                        53

Young Bulls                                        39                        37                       42

Cows and Adult Bulls                            0                          0                         0

Calves                                                  6                          5                         8

Other Sheep and Lambs                   1019                      756                     943

Ewes and Rams                                  176                      142                      141

Clean Pigs                                         833                     664                     684

Sows and Boars                                   21                        16                       16

Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings

                Cattle             Sheep             Pigs

May 2004                                      120.4                     303.5                 201.5

May 2005                                      133.0                     346.3                  194.3

% change                                      +10.5%                   +14.1%                 -3.6%

Jan-May 2005/2004                      -9.4%                    +9.8%                 -4.9%

Cattle slaughterings up 10.5% in May.

The number of cattle slaughtered in May 2005 was 10.5% higher than in May

2004.

A comparison of May 2005 and 2004 figures shows that:

_ Sheep slaughterings increased by 14.1%.

_ Pig slaughterings decreased by 3.6%.

The number of sheep slaughterings in January-May 2005 was 9.8% higher than the

corresponding 2004 figure. Over the same period there was a decrease of 9.4% in

cattle slaughterings, while pig slaughterings decreased by 4.9%.

EU-15 sheep slaughtering figures between the periods January to December 2003

and 2004 increased marginally. France, Greece and Spain recorded decreases of 4.1%, 1.9% and 1.6% respectively.

The United Kingdom recorded an increase of 1.8%. The number of sheep slaughtered in Ireland was considerably higher at 12.9%.