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CSO statistical release, , 11am

Crops and Livestock Survey June Final Results

June 2016

   Total Cereals  Cattle   Sheep
     '000 hectares(ha)  
     '000      '000
June 2015292.46,963.55,138.7
June 2016281.17,221.25,179.2
% change-3.9+3.7+0.8

Area under Cereals down 3.9% in June 2016

Figure 1 Area under cereals
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The final results for June 2016 show that the area under cereals decreased by 11,300 hectares (ha) (-3.9%) to 281,100 ha when compared to the June 2015 area.  The area under spring cereals (wheat, oats and barley) decreased by 23,100 ha (-14.9%) whereas the area under winter cereals increased by 11,900 ha (+8.7%). Spring barley accounted for 18,400 ha of the decrease in the area under spring cereals. See Table 1.

The results also show that the total number of cattle was 7,221,200, an increase of 257,700 (+3.7%) on June 2015. The number of dairy cows increased by 102,100 (+7.9%) and cattle 1-2 years increased by 148,200 (+8.7%). Cattle 2 years and over (excluding cows and bulls) decreased by 92,600 (-11.5%). See Table 2.

A comparison with the June 2015 results show that:

  • Sheep numbers increased by 40,500 (+0.8%) to 5,179,200. Other sheep (non-breeding) were up 21,600 (+0.8%) and breeding sheep up 18,900 (+0.7%). See Table 2.
  • Ewes under 2 years increased by 24,900 (+5.5%), whereas ewes 2 years and over decreased by 8,000 (-0.4%). See Table 2
  • Pig numbers increased by 57,400 (+3.7%) to 1,594,300. Non-breeding pigs were up 4.1% and breeding pigs up 0.4%. See Table 2.
  • The area under potatoes increased by 6.1% to 9,000 ha. See Table 1.

A regional analysis of the livestock numbers shows that the largest number of cattle (1,455,800) was in the South-West region, the largest number of sheep (1,414,500) was in the West region and the largest number of pigs (479,200) was in the Border region. See Tables 4 and 5.

X-axis labelSheepCattle
Border1144903.7
Mid-East & Dublin766.3611
Midland329.1845
Mid-West126.11046
South-East662.91406.7
South-West736.31455.8
West1414.5953
X-axis labelHectares
Winter wheat5.1
Spring wheat-2.5
Winter oats1.9
Spring oats-2.1
Winter barley4.9
Spring barley-18.4
Potatoes0.5
Table 1 Area under Crops and Pasture
DescriptionJune 2014June 2015June 2016   Change 2015 - 2016
' 000 hectares' 000 hectares%
Wheat - total71.665.367.92.64.0
  Winter wheat65.155.360.45.19.3
  Spring wheat6.510.17.5-2.5-25.3
      
Oats - total18.623.423.2-0.2-1.0
  Winter oats10.111.413.21.916.6
  Spring oats8.512.110.0-2.1-17.5
      
Barley - total215.7202.8189.2-13.6-6.7
  Winter barley60.169.874.64.97.0
  Spring barley155.6133.0114.6-18.4-13.9
      
Other cereals0.80.90.8-0.1-8.8
      
Total cereals306.7292.4281.1-11.3-3.9
      
Beans and peas3.510.712.51.817.1
Oilseed rape9.48.99.91.010.8
Arable silage3.53.53.50.01.0
Maize silage13.912.910.9-1.9-15.0
Fodder rape and kale1.21.71.6-0.1-4.7
Potatoes9.58.59.00.56.1
Turnips0.91.11.1-0.1-5.0
Beet 110.39.69.5-0.1-1.5
Vegetables for sale3.43.23.60.411.0
Fruit0.90.90.8-0.1-7.6
Nurseries, horticulture etc.0.50.50.50.0-5.6
Other crops 24.05.87.71.933.3
      
Total crops, fruit and horticulture367.7359.7351.7-8.0-2.2
      
Silage1,077.61,071.11,066.8-4.3-0.4
Hay217.9195.7188.4-7.3-3.7
Pasture2,308.42,299.42,307.88.40.4
      
Crops and Pasture3,971.53,926.03,914.8-11.2-0.3
      
Rough grazing in use494.2503.6532.428.85.7
      
Area farmed4,465.84,429.54,447.217.60.4
      
1 Includes sugar beet and fodder beet.
2 Includes other crops not specified elsewhere in the table, miscanthus & fallow land account for over 50% of this area.
Table 2 Number of Livestock
DescriptionJune 2014June 2015June 2016   Change 2015 - 2016
' 000 ' 000 %
Total cattle6,926.16,963.57,221.2257.73.7
      
    Dairy cows 11,226.41,295.81,397.9102.17.9
    Other cows1,129.01,075.81,103.727.82.6
      
    Bulls 240.836.525.0-11.5-31.4
      
    Cattle male: 2 years and over455.9423.8391.1-32.7-7.7
    Cattle female: 2 years and over428.4384.4324.4-60.0-15.6
      
    Cattle male: 1-2 years820.5789.6872.783.210.5
    Cattle female: 1-2 years946.7915.5980.565.07.1
      
    Cattle male: under 1 year901.6994.41,045.651.25.1
    Cattle female: under 1 year976.81,047.81,080.332.43.1
      
   Total cattle male2,218.82,244.22,334.590.34.0
   Total cattle female 4,707.34,719.34,886.7167.43.5
      
Total sheep5,096.85,138.75,179.240.50.8
      
  Breeding sheep2,591.32,563.92,582.818.90.7
      
    Ewes: 2 years and over2,060.32,033.12,025.1-8.0-0.4
    Ewes: under 2 years453.6454.9479.924.95.5
      
    Rams77.575.877.82.02.7
      
  Other sheep2,505.42,574.92,596.421.60.8
      
Total pigs1,555.31,536.91,594.357.43.7
      
  Breeding pigs151.7149.3149.90.60.4
      
    Female breeding pigs150.3147.8148.50.70.4
    Boars1.41.41.40.0-0.9
      
  Other pigs1,403.61,387.61,444.456.84.1
      
    20kg and over962.6941.7999.157.46.1
    Less than 20kg441.0445.9445.3-0.6-0.1
      
Horses and ponies 395.093.192.2-0.9-0.9
      
Mules, jennets and asses8.18.99.20.32.8
      
Goats 48.6 510.8 59.9-0.9-8.7
      
1 Dairy cows are those kept principally to produce milk for human consumption.
2 Bulls used for breeding purposes only.
3 Horses and Ponies are those kept on agricultural holdings only.
4 Source DAFM. See Background Notes.
5 Revised. See Background Notes.
Table 3 Area under Crops and Pasture in each Region, June 2016' 000 ha
RegionBorder, Midland and Western Southern and EasternState
Border MidlandWest Total Mid-East & DublinMid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestTotal
 
Wheat - total6.04.90.311.3 33.30.916.16.456.667.9
  Winter wheat5.64.40.210.3 31.40.713.94.150.160.4
  Spring wheat0.40.50.11.0 1.90.22.22.26.57.5
            
Oats - total2.22.20.85.2 6.10.48.92.618.023.2
  Winter oats1.11.10.12.3 4.50.25.31.011.013.2
  Spring oats1.11.10.72.9 1.60.23.61.67.010.0
            
Barley - total14.022.63.239.9 41.06.470.531.4149.3189.2
  Winter barley7.67.40.915.9 21.93.022.211.658.774.6
  Spring barley6.415.22.323.9 19.13.548.419.790.7114.6
            
Other cereals0.10.20.00.3 0.30.00.20.00.50.8
            
Total cereals22.330.04.356.6 80.77.795.740.4224.5281.1
            
Beans and peas0.51.00.01.6 4.40.04.91.610.912.5
Oilseed rape0.70.70.01.5 4.20.23.60.58.49.9
Arable silage0.60.50.21.4 0.40.20.90.72.13.5
Maize silage0.90.60.11.7 2.10.43.73.19.310.9
Fodder rape and kale0.00.30.20.5 0.30.10.50.21.11.6
Potatoes2.00.20.12.3 3.70.12.00.86.89.0
Turnips0.00.10.10.3 0.30.00.30.20.81.1
Beet 10.21.50.21.9 1.00.33.62.67.69.5
Vegetables for sale0.40.20.10.8 1.80.00.80.32.83.6
Fruit0.20.00.00.2 0.20.00.30.10.60.8
Nurseries, horticulture etc.0.00.00.00.0 0.10.00.20.10.50.5
Other crops 20.80.80.21.8 2.50.42.30.75.97.7
            
Crops, fruit and horticulture28.936.05.670.5 101.69.6118.851.2281.3351.7
            
Silage155.5120.0181.9457.5 74.5156.3164.0214.4609.31,066.8
Hay 26.223.427.677.1 20.652.522.016.2111.3188.4
Pasture397.9233.7461.61,093.2 210.9305.8330.7367.31,214.72,307.8
            
Crops and pasture608.4413.1676.61,698.2 407.7524.2635.6649.12,216.63,914.8
            
Rough grazing in use129.548.0122.7300.3 30.141.030.5130.6232.1532.4
            
Area farmed738.0461.2799.41,998.5 437.7565.2666.0779.72,448.64,447.2
1 Includes sugar beet and fodder beet.
2 Includes other crops not specified elsewhere in the table, miscanthus & fallow land account for over 50% of this area.
Table 4 Number of Cattle in each Region and County, June 2016' 000
Region and CountyTotal   DairyOther Bulls 2CattleCattleCattleCattleCattleCattle Total CattleTotal Cattle
Cattle Cows 1Cows Male 2+Female 2+Male 1-2Female 1-2Male <1Female < 1MaleFemale
             
State7,221.21,397.91,103.725.0391.1324.4872.7980.51,045.61,080.32,334.54,886.7
             
  Border, Midland and Western2,701.7285.0588.010.8147.3150.5334.4377.7404.0404.0896.51,805.2
             
   Border903.7120.3195.73.736.647.9102.6123.4134.2139.3277.1626.6
     Cavan230.237.547.41.07.810.822.432.933.936.465.1165.1
     Donegal189.020.142.90.76.48.726.423.731.928.265.3123.6
     Leitrim65.42.025.90.41.23.33.47.010.711.515.849.7
     Louth88.915.512.40.26.96.310.713.910.712.228.660.3
     Monaghan 213.936.934.30.89.711.828.331.129.231.968.0145.9
     Sligo 116.38.332.90.54.67.011.414.817.819.034.282.0
             
   Midland845.0104.6141.52.856.347.5120.6125.5125.4120.9305.0540.0
     Laois252.840.235.40.716.710.740.533.939.735.097.5155.2
     Longford117.29.728.00.67.86.315.015.916.917.040.376.9
     Offaly246.028.634.40.616.015.137.740.438.035.392.2153.8
     Westmeath229.026.243.60.815.815.527.535.230.833.674.9154.1
             
   West953.060.1250.84.354.455.1111.2128.8144.4143.8314.4638.6
     Galway 448.634.2109.52.028.025.554.860.367.267.2151.9296.7
     Mayo286.718.481.81.313.616.129.837.443.844.588.5198.2
     Roscommon217.77.559.61.112.913.626.631.033.432.074.0143.7
             
  Southern and Eastern4,519.51,112.9515.714.2243.7173.9538.4602.8641.6676.31,438.03,081.5
             
   Mid-East and Dublin611.098.189.71.845.537.882.589.482.683.6212.5398.5
    Dublin23.23.24.00.11.42.22.83.82.83.07.016.2
    Kildare141.415.821.40.414.48.423.020.420.017.857.783.6
    Meath320.558.140.70.825.021.543.947.640.842.2110.5210.0
    Wicklow125.921.023.60.54.85.712.817.719.120.637.288.7
             
   Mid-West1,046.0210.1149.63.963.142.9128.7132.5160.3154.8356.0689.9
    Clare294.231.975.71.615.612.831.832.445.946.594.9199.3
    Limerick432.5115.740.31.426.616.551.154.862.463.6141.5291.0
    North Tipperary319.262.533.60.920.913.645.845.352.144.7119.6199.6
             
   South-East1,406.7339.6145.03.878.346.7185.2190.7208.3209.2475.6931.1
    Carlow104.314.417.50.45.34.614.515.316.815.637.067.3
    Kilkenny362.080.237.20.922.011.353.648.556.052.3132.4229.6
    South Tipperary374.597.430.60.925.911.549.548.156.354.4132.7241.8
    Waterford268.878.424.30.814.18.029.135.636.841.880.7188.1
    Wexford297.169.335.40.910.911.338.543.342.445.192.7204.4
             
   South-West1,455.8465.1131.34.756.846.5142.0190.2190.4228.8393.91,061.9
    Cork1,105.5363.082.73.245.433.7114.5146.3145.2171.5308.4797.2
    Kerry350.3102.148.71.411.412.827.543.945.257.385.5264.8
             
1 Dairy cows are those kept principally to produce milk for human consumption.
2 Bulls used for breeding purposes only.
Table 5 Number of Sheep, Pigs and Other Livestock in each Region, June 2016' 000
RegionBorder, Midland and Western Southern and EasternState
Border MidlandWest Total Mid-East & DublinMid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestTotal
 
Total sheep1,144.0329.11,414.52,887.6 766.3126.1662.9736.32,291.65,179.2
            
  Breeding sheep579.1156.7693.61,429.4 391.263.4332.5366.21,153.42,582.8
            
    Ewes: 2 years and over452.4128.0538.81,119.2 300.150.7263.8291.4905.92,025.1
    Ewes: under 2 years108.624.3132.4265.3 80.39.760.264.4214.6479.9
            
    Rams18.14.422.444.9 10.93.08.610.532.977.8
            
  Other sheep564.9172.4720.91,458.2 375.162.7330.4370.11,138.22,596.4
            
Total pigs479.2291.047.4817.6 83.9101.8298.5292.5776.71,594.3
            
  Breeding pigs46.524.23.874.5 9.910.328.426.975.4149.9
            
    Female breeding pigs46.324.13.874.2 9.910.327.726.574.3148.5
    Boars0.20.10.00.3 0.00.00.70.31.11.4
            
  Other pigs432.7266.843.6743.1 74.091.5270.2265.7701.31,444.4
            
    20kg and over296.1193.228.6517.9 47.863.7188.1181.7481.2999.1
    Less than 20kg136.673.615.0225.2 26.227.882.184.0220.1445.3
            
Horses and ponies 19.68.217.535.3 16.413.515.711.457.092.2
            
Mules, jennets and asses2.00.42.75.2 0.32.10.51.14.09.2
            
Goats 22.11.41.65.1 1.21.21.21.14.89.9
1 Horses and Ponies are those kept on agricultural holdings only.
2 Source DAFM. See Background notes.

Background Notes

 

Introduction 

This release presents final estimates of land utilisation and livestock numbers in June 2016 at State and regional level. The estimates for sheep and pigs are based on returns from the 2016 June sample survey of agricultural holdings and the June 2016 Pig Survey conducted by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The estimates for cattle and for crops are obtained from administrative data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

Coverage  Farms where the agricultural area used was at least one hectare (2.47 acres) are included in the June Agricultural Sample Survey. Farms with less than one hectare may also be included if they were engaged in intensive production. 

Results        

Crops  The results for crops are based on data obtained from the DAFM Basic Payment Scheme.

Cattle  The results for cattle are obtained from DAFM’s Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) system, formerly known as the Cattle Movement Monitoring System (CMMS). This system was introduced at the beginning of 2000 and involves electronically recording data on animal movements.

Goats  The 2016 goat results are obtained from DAFM’s 2015 December Sheep and Goat Census. Revised regional goat figures for 2014 and 2015 can be found on our Statbank. Click here for a link to the Statbank Table AAA07 Number of Livestock in June by Type of Animal.

Sheep  The June 2016 results for sheep are based on the trends obtained by comparing the returns from the 2016 sample with the 2015 returns for the same 6,200 farms and applying these trends to the June 2015 figures.

Pigs  A specialist pig survey was conducted by the CSO due to the intensive nature of this activity.

As the figures in the text and tables have been rounded to the nearest 100 units, there may be slight discrepancies between the sum (or difference) of the constituent items and the total shown. Percentage changes have been calculated on actual figures.

 

Composition of Regions

Border, Midland and Western NUTS 2 Region

Border           Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan and Sligo

Midland          Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath

West             Galway City, Galway County, Mayo and Roscommon

 

Southern and Eastern NUTS 2 Region

Dublin            Dublin City, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin

Mid-East        Kildare, Meath and Wicklow

Mid-West       Limerick City, Limerick County, Clare and North Tipperary

South-East    Waterford City, Waterford County, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford

                      and South Tipperary

South-West   Cork City, Cork County and Kerry

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