Preliminary census results released by DARD show that the number of dairy cows kept on NI farms in June 2015 was at an all-time high.

The figures confirm what has been widely reported in the industry – that producers have reacted to lower milk prices by keeping more cows and producing more milk. In total, there were 311,500 dairy cows on NI farms, up 6% on June 2014 figures. It is the largest yearly increase seen since the figures were first recorded in 1960.

For most of the last 20 years, the number of dairy cows has remained fairly static at between 280,000 and 290,000, with increasing herd sizes the result of consolidation within the industry, not an expansion in the overall herd.

The suckler herd has also increased in size, up 2% on June 2014, with a total of 260,300 cows on NI farms. However, the suckler herd is still 10,000 head smaller than it was in June 2013.

The data for other age groups of cattle confirm a trend noted by various commentators over the last few months – that slaughter numbers will remain tight for the rest of the year and into the early part of 2016, but beyond that there are more cattle coming forward.

The numbers of male and female cattle for slaughter over 12 months of age are down on June 2014 levels. However, males and females under one year of age are showing significant increases. For example, the number of male calves under six months of age is up 10% or 11,700 head on last year.

These increases are being driven by the dairy industry, which means an increasing dairy influence within the beef industry. In total, 28% of beef-sired calves are now from the dairy herd.

Ewes

In terms of other livestock, the number of breeding ewes also increased in June 2015, up 2% on the previous year. The breeding ewe flock stood at 930,700. Despite the increase, the number of breeding ewes remains well short of the subsidy era, when there were upwards of 1.4m ewes in NI.

Pigs and poultry

Pig numbers in NI continue to increase, with the female breeding herd up 5% at 45,300, the highest seen since 1999. Similar increases continued to be measured in the poultry sector, with the laying flock and broiler numbers showing 8% and 5% increases respectively.

Cereals

The area devoted to cereals such as wheat and barley was also up, with 35,000ha recorded in June 2015. Spring barley continues to be the favoured crop, although the main percentage increases are being measured in winter crops. While the area devoted to cereals is holding up, the same cannot be said of potatoes, which continues to decline. In total in June 2015 there were 3,900ha in potatoes, down 7% on 2014. The figures for 2015 have not been helped by the latest CAP reform which made it difficult for some growers to access conacre land earlier this year. The area devoted to potatoes is the lowest ever recorded by DARD and half what it was in the late 1990s.