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

March 2007

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.

 

                                       January 2007             February 2007          March 2007
                                         5 weeks                      4 weeks                    4 weeks

Steers                                   99                               84                            86

Heifers                                  84                               70                             67 

Young Bulls                          23                               19                             20 

 

Cows and Adult Bulls           52                                41                            35 

Calves                                    3                                2                              3

Other Sheep and Lambs     1142                            916                          977

Ewes and Rams                    206                            173                          166

Clean Pigs                            831                            718                          715

 

Sows and Boars                    19                              16                            18

 

• Livestock slaughtered under the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme are excluded.


Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings

March 2006

 

                                             Cattle                 Sheep                   Pigs

 

March 2006                           159.5                   229.8                    217.2

March 2007                           144.5                   201.4                    226.0

% change                              -9.4%                 -12.4%                   +4.1% 

Jan-Mar 2007/2006                +1.5%                 -13.4%                    +4.8%

 

Cattle slaughterings down 9.4% in March

The number of cattle slaughtered in March 2007 was 9.4% lower than in March

2006.

A comparison of March 2007 and 2006 figures showed that:

- Sheep slaughterings decreased by 12.4%.

- Pig slaughterings increased by 4.1%.

 

The number of cattle slaughterings in January-March 2007 was 1.5% higher than the corresponding 2006 figure. Over the same period there was a decrease of 13.4% in sheep slaughterings and an increase of 4.8% in pig slaughterings.

EU-25 pig slaughtering figures between the periods January to December 2005 and 2006 increased 1.5%. Netherlands, Denmark and France recorded decreases of 5.1%, 3.1% and 0.8% respectively. Spain and Germany recorded increases of 4.5% and 3.9% respectively.