There was a sharp jump in cattle slaughterings in January compared with 2021, with the total number of animals killed up by 7% or more than 10,000 head.

The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that the number of cattle killed in January reached 144,800 head, compared with 134,600 head in 2021.

The increased kill is a reflection of the strong demand for beef in Britain and Europe, which has pushed prices to record levels.

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Despite the lift in factory throughput this January, the number of cattle slaughtered this January is still well back on 2020 levels when the kill topped 165,000 head.

Beef output

Beef output for the month was 47,700t, compared with 44,700t in 2021 and 56,000t in 2020.

The increased demand for meat has also been reflected in the sheep kill, which was up 5% in January compared with 2021.

The total number of sheep killed in January this year increased to 220,000 head, compared with 218,000 in 2020. The figure for 2020 was 253,000 head.

The pig kill was also up in January compared with 2021. The overall number of pigs processed grew by almost 2% to reach 296,000 head.

Meanwhile, milk deliveries in January fell by 4% compared with 2020, despite the increase in the dairy herd this year.

The latest figures from the CSO show that milk intake by creameries and pasteurisers was estimated at 174.7 million litres last month, compared with 182 million litres in January 2021.