CSO: Cattle slaughterings fell 5,000 head in first two months of 2025
The number of cattle slaughtered in Ireland in the year to February 2025 fell by 1.6% when compared with the same period in 2024, according to latest figures released today (Thursday, March 27) by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
This represented a decrease of more than 5,000 head in the first two months of this year when compared to the same period last year.
The CSO report on Livestock Slaughterings February 2025 also shows that the number of sheep slaughtered in January and February fell but the number of pigs slaughtered in the first two months of the year rose marginally.
The number of pigs slaughtered in January and February was up overall by 1.0% when compared with the same two months in 2024 and grew by 2% in February 2025 when compared with February 2024.
In total pig slaughterings were estimated to be up in the region of 6,000 in the first two months of this year compared to the same period in 2024.
But the number of sheep slaughtered declined by 20.0% in the first two months of 2025 and by 11.5% in February 2025 when compared with the same month in 2024.
This was equivalent to a fall of almost 96,000 in January and February this year compared to the same period of time last year.
In relation to the latest monthly findings for February 2025, the number of cattle slaughtered declined by nearly 4,000 head.
Cathal Byrne, statistician in the CSO agriculture accounts and production section, said: "Cattle slaughterings decreased by 2.4% to more than 160,000 head in February 2025 when compared with February 2024.
"During the same period, the number of sheep slaughtered fell by 11.5% to more than 192,000 head, while pig slaughterings increased by 2.0% to approximately 270,000 head".
Meanwhile the Agri-Food Regulator has shared the latest available factory beef sale prices, with the pricing information broken down into three main categories.
The latest data available is for the week ending Sunday, March 2, and shows monthly price increases of 1.8-2.8% across the three categories.
The regulator publishes weekly aggregate selling prices for the following three categories:
- Beef forequarter;
- Beef hindquarter;
- 5% fat content beef minced meat.
The table outlines the latest available information on the weekly selling prices for beef forequarter, beef hindquarter and beef minced meat:
