In July 2024, Ireland experienced a notable increase in cattle slaughtering by 8.5% compared to the same month in 2023, with a total of around 156,600 head. This increase is part of a broader trend, with a 1.6% rise in the first seven months of the year, bringing the total to approximately 1.073 million head. Despite these gains, the overall number of cattle slaughtered from 2022 to 2024 remains relatively stable.
In contrast, the sheep sector witnessed a decrease in slaughtering by 8.5% in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with a slight decrease of 0.3% in July. The pig sector, however, saw a significant 12.7% increase in July 2024 compared to the same month in 2023, with a slight increase of 0.5% in the first seven months of the year. Although the number of pigs slaughtered from January to July 2024 was higher than the same period in 2023, it remained lower than the same period in 2022.