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
November 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
September 2008 October 2008 November 2008
4 weeks 5 weeks 4 weeks
Steers 87 105 78
Heifers 60 73 62
Young Bulls 22 23 19
Cows and Adult Bulls 48 64 57
Calves 6 7 5
Other Sheep and Lambs 1293 1583 1285
Ewes and Rams 205 240 192
Clean Pigs 724 880 726
Sows and Boars 18 21 16
Table 2: Irish Livestock Slaughterings
November 2008
Cattle Sheep Pigs
November 2007 182.6 252.5 232.4
November 2008 135.0 238.9 212.0
% change November 2008/2007 -26.1% -5.4% -8.8%
Jan-Nov 2008/2007 -6.5.3% -12.9% -1.5%
The number of cattle slaughtered in November 2008 was 26.1% lower than in November 2007.
A comparison of November 2008 and 2007 figures showed that:
- Sheep slaughterings decreased by 5.4%.
- Pig slaughterings decreased by 8.8%.
The number of cattle slaughterings in January-November 2008 was 6.5% lower than the corresponding 2007 figure. Over the same period there was a decrease of 19.6% in sheep slaughterings and a decrease of 1.5% in pig slaughterings.
Between the periods January to September 2007 and 2008, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and France recorded increases in pig slaughterings of 3.7%, 3.7%, 0.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Denmark UK recorded an decrease of 0.5%.
