Between January and February 2024, cattle slaughterings rose by 6.8% when compared with the same period in 2023, Central Statistics Office(CSO) data show.

This represents an increase of more than 21,000 cattle, bringing the total cattle kill to 331,000 head for the months of January and February.

An analysis of the data for February 2024 compared with February 2023 shows that cattle kill increased by 5.5% to 165,000 head.

This is a significant rebound from December 2023 figures where cattle kill dropped to 143,000 head

During the same period, sheep slaughterings rose by approximately 7,000 head (+1.5%) to just under 482,000 head when compared with the same two months in 2023.

However, the number of sheep slaughtered dropped by 0.1% in February 2024 when compared with the same month in 2023.

Pig slaughterings are estimated to be just over 563,000 head for January and February 2024, representing a rise of nearly 12,000 head year-to-date.

According to February data, pig kill rose by 4% in February 2024 when compared with February 2023.