CSO’s June survey reveals still more than 1m sucklers
The number of suckler cows fell 3.1% to 1,047,900 in the year to last June, according to the Central Statistics Office’s crops and livestock survey provisional estimates.
The number of dairy cows was up by 48,200 (or 3.4%), to 1,480,900.
Total cattle numbers were down 0.2%, with cattle of two years increasing 3% but cattle under one year falling 2.5%.
The total number of sheep, at 5,105,500, fell by 91,600 (1.8%), including a 2.9% decrease in non-breeding sheep
Area under cereals fell by 11,600 hectares (or 4.2%) to 260,900 ha, compared to June 2017. This was mainly due to falls of 9,100 ha (13.6%) in the wheat acreage; 7,300 ha (11.2%) in winter barley; and 6,800 ha (27.6%) in oats.
Spring barley increased 11,800 ha (10.2%).
Potatoes decreased by 10.8%, to 8,200 ha.
