Between January and June 2025, cattle slaughterings decreased by 1.1% when compared with the same period in 2024, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The data also revealed that slaughterings were up by 1.5% when comparing June 2025 with June 2024.

Meanwhile, the number of pigs slaughtered in the first six months of 2025 grew by 2.9% when compared with the same six months in 2024 and rose by 10.2% in June 2025 when compared with June 2024.

According to the CSO, the number of sheep slaughtered declined by 15.4% in the first six months of 2025, and fell by 10.2% in June 2025, when compared with the same month in 2024.

Commenting on the release, statistician in the agriculture accounts and production section of the CSO, Mairead Griffin said: "Cattle slaughterings increased by 1.5% to 130,000 heads in June 2025 when compared with June 2024.

"During the same period, the number of sheep slaughtered fell by 10.2% to 199,000 heads, while pig slaughterings were up by 10.2% to approximately 271,000 heads."

"Further analysis of the data shows that between January and June 2025, cattle slaughterings contracted by 1.1% to 907,000 heads while the number of sheep slaughtered decreased by 15.4% to 1.2m heads. Pig slaughterings increased by 2.9% to 1.7m heads over the same six-month period," Griffin added.

Separately, last week (July 22) data released by the CSO revealed that producer prices for food products increased by 4.2% in the 12 months to June 2025.

Some of the most notable changes in producer prices for food products over the 12 months to June 2025 were increases in dairy products (up 22%) along with meat and meat products (up 6.4%).

Vegetables and animal oils and fats were down 16.2%.

Domestic producer prices for manufactured goods were on average 0.5% higher in June 2025 compared with a year earlier, while prices for exported goods were down by 5.2%.

Overall, manufacturing producer prices were 4.6% lower in the year.