The total number of cattle in Ireland dropped by 97,500 or 1.5% to 6,551,800 in 2022, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Comparing cattle numbers for December 2022 with the same month in 2021, the CSO found there were 84,000 fewer female cattle over two years of age, a drop of 3.7%.

Suckler cow numbers dropped by 3.1% or 27,900 to 861,700. Moreover, this suckler cow number is down from the 922,700 in December 2020.

Elsewhere, the CSO reported an increase in dairy cow numbers in 2022, with milking cow numbers up slightly by 5,000 or 0.3% to 1,510,300.

Dairy cow numbers were up a slight 0.3% in 2022. \ Philip Doyle

The number of young male cattle was also down, with 81,700 fewer males under one, a decrease of 8.1% to 922,300.

There were also fewer female cattle less than a year old by the end of last year, at 1,073,100, down 30,600 or 2.8% from the year previous.

Perhaps following the suckler cow trends or indicating greater AI use, there were also 2,000 fewer breeding bulls in the country in 2022.

Pigs

Also in 2022, the CSO found that pig numbers fell by 8.4% or 143,200 to 1,570,400.

This reduction was driven by a 12.6% fall in breeding pig numbers, where there were 5,200 (-24.8%) and 7,400 (-9.3%) fewer gilts and sows in pig respectively.

Pig numbers fell by 8.4% in 2022, the CSO says.

Suggesting an incoming drop in pig supply, comparing December 2022 with the same month in 2021, there were 63,800 (-13.2%) pigs under 20kg in the country.

Sheep

The CSO found that breeding sheep numbers fell by 43,500 or 1.6% to 2,742,100 over the 12 months of 2022.

There were 17,100 and 29,200 fewer ewes over and under two years of age respectively, decreases of 0.8% and 4.7%.

In total, sheep numbers were up a slight 2,800 in 2022. \ David Ruffles

In total, sheep numbers were up a slight 2,800 or 0.1% to 4,029,100 last year. Ram numbers were up 3.3% to 89,000.