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

Table 1: UK monthly slaughter estimates

May 2006

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.

 

                                        March 2006                April 2006              May 2006
                                         4 weeks                     5 weeks                  4 weeks

Steers                                     84                           97                            85

Heifers                                    70                           77                            65

Young Bulls                            23                           28                            29

Cows and Adult Bulls             20                           24                            25

Calves                                     5                             3                              2

Other Sheep and Lambs     1039                        1087                        829

Ewes and Rams                    172                         199                          159

Clean Pigs                            681                         782                          665

Sows and Boars                    15                           17                           14

 

 

Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings

May 2006

 

                                          Cattle                 Sheep                   Pigs

 

May 2005                            133.0                  347.4                     215.8

May 2006                            147.9                  309.5                     235.6

% change                         +11.2%               -10.9%                     +9.2%

Jan-May 2006/2005           +16.0%                -4.6%                      -0.2%

Cattle slaughterings up 11.2% in May

The number of cattle slaughtered in May 2006 was 11.2% higher than in May

2005.

A comparison of May 2006 and 2005 figures shows that:

_ Sheep slaughterings decreased by 10.9%.

_ Pig slaughterings increased by 9.2%.

The number of cattle slaughterings in January-May 2006 was 16.0% higher than the corresponding 2005 figure. Over the same period there was a decrease of 4.6% in sheep slaughterings and a decrease of 0.2% in pig slaughterings.

EU-15 cattle slaughtering figures between the periods January to December 2004 and 2005 decreased by 3.2%. Germany, France and Italy recorded decreases of 9.0%, 2.5% and 2.1% respectively. The United Kingdom recorded an increase 0.8%.