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
Table 1: UK monthly slaughter estimates
SEPTEMBER 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.
July 2007 August 2007 September 2007
5 weeks 4 weeks 4 weeks
Steers 95 74 85
Heifers 65 50 57
Young Bulls 39 25 25
Cows and Adult Bulls 47 22 29
Calves 3 3 7
Other Sheep and Lambs 1384 907 1139
Ewes and Rams 211 155 183
Clean Pigs 882 638 719
Sows and Boars 22 5 12
• Livestock slaughtered under the Older Cattle Disposal Scheme are excluded.
Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings
SEPTEMBER 2007
Cattle Sheep Pigs
August 2006 146.5 373.3 235.3
August 2007 152.1 392.0 219.3
% change August 2007/2006 +3.8% +5.0% -6.8%
% change Jan-August 2007/06 +0.2% -8.5% -0.7%
Cattle slaughterings up 3.8% in August
The number of cattle slaughtered in August 2007 was 3.8% higher than in August
2006. A comparison of August 2007 and 2006 figures showed that:
- Sheep slaughterings increased by 5.0%.
- Pig slaughterings decreased by 6.8%.
The number of cattle slaughterings in January-August 2007 was 0.2% higher than the corresponding 2006 figure. Over the same period there was a decrease of 8.5% in sheep slaughterings and a decrease of 0.7% in pig slaughterings.
Between the periods January to May 2006 and 2007, Ireland, France, the United
Kingdom and Greece recorded decreases in sheep slaughterings of 10.7%, 6.4%, 4.0% and 3.1% respectively.
