The number of suckler cows on NI farms has continued to decline, the latest figures from DAERA confirm.

There were 235,794 sucklers on farm at the beginning of December 2019, which is a decline of 9,339 head, or 3.8%, from year earlier levels.

The NI suckler herd has reduced by almost 30,000 head in the last three years and compares to 263,514 cows at the end of 2016.

DAERA conducts an agricultural census in June and December each year. While suckler numbers are historically lower in December than they are in June, the gap between summer and winter has grown in recent years.

For example, the NI suckler herd decreased by 2.3% in the second half of 2016 and reduced by 3.2% in the final six months of 2017, but in 2018 and 2019 the reduction stood at 4.2% and 4.5% respectively. It suggests that NI farmers are willing to keep fewer and fewer cows each winter.

In the dairy sector, the results from the December 2019 census show that cow numbers were up by 5,284 head, or 1.7%, year on year to 314,275 head.

Growth

There is potential for further growth in the NI dairy herd with the number of dairy heifers aged one to two years old up 2.0% and heifer numbers in the six- to 12-month bracket were up 7.8% year on year.

The breeding ewe flock in NI stood at 905,779, which is 19,810, or 2.2%, more than December 2018 levels.

A good year financially in the pig sector saw breeding female numbers increase by 6.0% to 46,758 head.

Read more

Northern prices drop from record high of 2018

EFS fencing payment cut by 20%