Figures for June 2013 show land under cereals decreased by 12,100 hectares (-3.8 per cent) to 303,300 ha compared to last year, according to latest information from the Central Statistics Office published this morning.
This was due to combined decreases in each of the winter cereals (wheat, oats and barley), including a drop of 40,000 ha (-47.3 per cent) in winter wheat. The area under spring cereals increased by 37,700 ha, with an increase of 29,400 ha (+19.4 per cent) in spring barley.
The total number of cattle increased by 148,500 (+2.2 per cent) to 6,902,600. This was mainly due to increases of 102,500 (+13.3 per cent) in male cattle 1 to 2 years, 27,600 (+7.6 per cent) in male cattle two years and over and 22,400 (+2 per cent) in dairy cows.
The June 2013 CSO update also shows that: sheep numbers decreased by 93,100 (-1.8 per cent) to 5,076,900. Other sheep (non-breeding) decreased by 72,100 (-2.9 per cent) and breeding sheep decreased by 21,000 (-0.8 per cent).
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