A decline in breeding ewe numbers is likely to have occurred in 2024, according to a new report published today (Monday, January 27) by Teagasc.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) 2023 sheep and goat census highlighted a decline in breeding ewe numbers in 2023 of 3.7% and it is likely this trend will have continued last year.

The latest Teagasc publication released to ‘Advancing Innovation, Sustainability and Technical Performance of the Agri-Food Sector in 2024,' looks at the technical side, and the productivity, of the agri-food sector.

The report outlines that incomes increased in all the main farming sectors in 2024 compared to 2023.

This increase was aided by the higher farm gate prices in the second half of 2024 for milk, beef, and sheep meat.

Analysis suggests that 2024 was a better year for sheep farmers compared than 2023, while family farm income increased by 19% in 2024, relative to 2023.

Direct costs as a percentage of output declined from 50% in 2023 to 43% in 2024 primarily driven by an increase in lamb prices.

Weather was a significant challenge for sheep farmers in the early part of the year, especially around lambing time for many flocks.

As well as the decline in breeding ewe numbers, the value of sheep meat exports was down by 6% to €400 million.

In 2024, Teagasc researchers also studied methane output across different life stages in sheep, using portable accumulation chambers to measure emissions. The study also examined the relationship between methane output, and dry matter intake.

According to Teagasc these findings provide valuable data for Ireland's national inventory and inform the marginal abatement cost curve. This helps identify the most effective stages in a sheep's life cycle to target methane mitigation strategies.

Meanwhile Teagasc National Lowland Sheep Conference will take place on Tuesday, January 28, in the Ard Rí House Hotel, Tuam, Co. Galway, and on Thursday, January 30, in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, Co. Meath.