Fall in sheep slaughter numbers reflect 'worsening situation' in sheep farming, ICSA says

Sheep slaughterings fell by 16.4% in the first five months of the year, CSO data shows

'These figures confirm what we already know: more and more people are getting out of sheep farming because the figures simply don’t add up,' ICSA sheep chair Willie Shaw said,

Sheep slaughterings fell by 16.4% in the first five months of 2025.

The Central Statistics Office slaughterings report for May  showed the drop of 16.4% is the equivalent of 191,000 heads, compared to a total of 973,300 slaughtered in between January and May so far this year.