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.

For sheep slaughter numbers for May alone, a fall of 13.2% is the equivalent of 28,000 heads, when compared to 2024’s figures. A total of 186,000 heads in total sheep slaughters last month, equating to 4,300 tonnes. So far this year, a total of 22,400 tonnes of sheep meat has been produced.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) sheep chair Willie Shaw said the figures reflected a "worsening situation" in the sheep sector.

"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," he said.

You could make as much money doing anything else, for a fraction of the work and stress involved. When you weigh the hours of work against the return, it’s no wonder farmers are voting with their feet. 

"Confidence is evaporating, and there are very few in the younger generation willing to take up the mantle. If something doesn’t change, we face a real risk that there won’t be a next generation of sheep farmers.

"The figures also reflect poorly on the behaviour of the processors. When supplies are tight, we should be seeing better prices for primary producers. Instead, we see processors doing everything they can to keep a lid on prices — including ramping up volumes of imports in carcass form. 

"This kind of unfairness only adds to the frustration and is yet another reason why people are walking away.”

Across the other sectors, for cattle, the CSO reports slaughtering numbers dropping by 1.6%, the equivalent of 12,000 heads, to an estimated total of 777,000 cattle slaughtered between January to May, when compared to the same period in 2024.

Commenting on the release, CSO statistician Mairead Griffin said: "Cattle slaughterings decreased by 10.6% to 135,000 heads in May 2025 when compared with May 2024.” 

Within the first five months of this year, cattle slaughterings have equated to 247,000 tonnes, and in May alone, 44,000 tonnes were produced.

Pig slaughter numbers had the only positive trajectory between January and May, with current estimates from the CSO being 1.4 million heads slaughtered so far this year and an increase of 1.6% (22,000 heads). This amounts to a total of 134,700 tonnes produced so far.

A total of 285,000 pigs were slaughtered in May alone, a decline of 2,000 heads (0.8%) when compared to May 2024. This equates to a carcass weight of 26,900 tonnes.