Between January and April 2025, cattle slaughterings grew by 0.5% when compared with the same period in 2024 and were up by 2.6% when comparing April 2025 with April 2024.

That's according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) published today (Wednesday, 28 May).

The figures include slaughterings at both meat establishments approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and slaughterhouses and meat plants approved by Local Authorities.

The number of pigs slaughtered in the first four months of 2025 rose by 2.2% when compared with the same four months in 2024 and grew by 6.6% in April 2025 when compared with April 2024.

The number of sheep slaughtered declined by 17.4% in the first four months of 2025 and increased by 1.3% in April 2025 when compared with the same month in 2024.

Easter falls each year on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25, inclusively. The level of sheep slaughterings in March and April each year is greatly influenced by when Easter falls.

Commenting on the latest data, statistician in the Agriculture Accounts and Production Section, CSO, Mairead Griffin said: "Cattle slaughterings increased by 2.6% to 159,000 head in April 2025 when compared with April 2024.

"Further analysis of the data shows that between January and April 2025, cattle slaughterings grew by 0.5% to almost 642,000 head, while the number of sheep slaughtered contracted by 17.4% to approximately 784,000 head.

"Pig slaughterings increased by 2.2% to over 1.1 million head over the same four-month period," she added.

Cattle slaughterings in the year to April 2025 are estimated to be almost 642,000 head, an increase of more than 3,000 head (+0.5%) when compared with the same period in 2024.

Calf slaughterings are included with cattle.

During this period in 2025, sheep slaughterings fell by approximately 166,000 (-17.4%) to over 784,000 head when compared with the same four months in 2024.

Pig slaughterings are estimated to be more than 1.1 million head between January and April 2025, up over 24,000 head (+2.2%) on the same period in 2024.

The number of cattle slaughtered in April 2025 rose by 4,000 head (+2.6%) to 159,000 head when compared with April 2024.

Sheep slaughterings in April 2025 were 203,000 head, increasing by approximately 3,000 head (+1.3%) when compared with the same month in 2024.

The number of pigs slaughtered in April 2025 increased by 18,000 head (+6.6%) to 291,000 head when compared with April 2024.