A county-by-county breakdown of the number of suckler-bred calves and dairy-bred calves born in Ireland in 2021 has been released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The figures were released as part of DAFM’s Animal Identification and Movement System (AIMS) Bovine Statistics Report for 2021.
According to the report, over 2.43 million calves were born in Ireland last year. The table below gives a breakdown of the composition of the calves born in each county.
Number of beef calves and dairy calves born in each county in 2021. For the purposes of this table, beef and dairy calves are defined by breed of dam:
As the table above indicates, the largest number of suckler calves was born in Co. Galway with 91,314 head born in the area.
The largest number of calves with dairy-breed dams was born in Co. Cork with 386,872 calves.
Looking at percentages, Co. Leitrim has the highest percentage of suckler calves born with 91.8%, followed by Co. Roscommon at 84% of all calves born in these counties, originating from the suckler herd.
Just under 86% of all calves born in Co. Cork were from the dairy herd followed by Co. Waterford with 84.5% of all calves being born to dairy breed cows.
The county with the lowest number of dairy calves born in it was Co. Leitrim followed by Co. Dublin while the county with the lowest number of suckler calves born in it was Co. Dublin followed by Co. Louth.
When compared to figures from 10 years ago, we see that the number of calves born from the suckler herd has fallen by just under 140,000 head while the number of calves born from the dairy herd has increased by just under 486,000.
In 2011, less than 2.09 million calves were born in Ireland. In 2021, that figure stands at over 2.43 million calves born in the country.