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
July 2008
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.
Table 1: UK monthly slaughter estimates
May 2008 June 2008 July 2008
4 weeks 4 weeks 5 weeks
Steers 77 73 87
Heifers 57 54 63
Young Bulls 23 26 30
Cows and Adult Bulls 33 38 48
Calves 2 2 4
Other Sheep and Lambs 804 902 1308
Ewes and Rams 152 157 214
Clean Pigs 646 670 846
Sows and Boars 17 17 19
Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings
July 2008
Cattle Sheep Pigs
July 2007 137.1 301.2 216.4
July 2008 140.7 270.0 224.4
% change July 2008/2007 +2.6% -10.4% +3.7%
Jan-July 2008/2007 -6.3% -7.7% -0.6%
Cattle slaughterings down 1.1% in May
The number of cattle slaughtered in July 2008 was 2.6% higher than in July 2007.
A comparison of July 2008 and 2007 figures showed that:
- Sheep slaughterings decreased by 10.4%.
- Pig slaughterings increased by 3.7%.
The number of cattle slaughterings in January-July 2008 was 6.3% lower than the corresponding 2007 figure. Over the same period there was a decrease of 7.7% in sheep slaughterings and a decrease of 0.6% in pig slaughterings.
Between the periods January to May 2007 and 2008, Greece, Spain, France and Ireland recorded decreases in sheep slaughterings of 1.5%, 25.6%, 5.1% and 6.7%, respectively. The United Kingdom recorded an increase of 5.3%.
