Cow, cattle and sheep numbers, as well as the area under crops, have dropped significantly this year compared to 2023, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show.
Suckler cow numbers dropped by 46,800 (-5.4%) to 825,000 head, while the dairy herd decreased by 1.4% or 22,700 head to 1.624m. Total cattle numbers were back 158,300 head (-2.2%) to 7.18m.
The number of sheep decreased by almost 9%, with the breeding flock down 12% to 2.685m. This is back from 3.05m in 2022.
Preliminary estimates show a 10,200ha (-3.7%) reduction in the area under cereals compared to 2023, bringing the total to 262,200ha.
This decline was driven by a 20% decrease in the area devoted to winter cereals.
The area under winter wheat was down 10,500ha (-20.5%), the winter oats area dropped 2,500ha (-25.5%), while the winter barley area was down 9,700ha (-18.3%). In contrast, the area under spring wheat rose by 2,500ha (+55.1%), spring oats was up by 5,100ha (+29.6%), with spring barley also increasing by 5,000ha (+3.7%).
The area under spuds was up by 1,000ha, or 13%, to 9,300ha.
Meanwhile, the number of breeding pigs increased by 7,200 (+4.9%) to 152,800.
SHARING OPTIONS: