The number of cattle, sheep and pig slaughterings in May 2022 are up by 13%, 12.4% and 10.7% respectively, compared to the same month last year, according to figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today (Tuesday, June 28).
A total of 153,800 cattle were slaughtered during May this year, compared to 136,200 head in the same month last year.
Sheep slaughterings rose from 211,400 to 237,600 head within one year, while the number of slaughtered pigs reached 321,900 head in May 2022, up from 290,600 last year.
January-May period
The number of sheep slaughtered between January and May this year is up by 16%, compared to the same period last year, according to CSO figures published today.
Cattle and pig slaughterings rose by 11.7% and 3.3% respectively, during the five-month period compared to 2021 levels.
The number of cattle slaughterings in the January-May period stood at 751,400 head in 2020, before falling down to 708,600 head in 2021.
This year, the total number of slaughtered cattle, including calfs, exceeds 2020 levels, reaching 791,400 head in the first five months of 2022.
Sheep slaughterings also dropped in 2021, to a total of 1,048,800 head, after standing at 1,148,100 in 2020. The number this year, during the five-month period, reached 1,216,500 head.
Pig slaughterings rose steadily from 1,434,400 head in 2020, to 1,509,300 head in 2021, reaching 1,558,400 head between January and May this year.
Figures published by the CSO 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.