The supply of total meat fell by 49,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.44 million tonnes in 2023. Beef & veal accounted for 643,000 tonnes (45%) of supply, followed by pork at 383,000 tonnes (27%), and poultry at 334,000 tonnes (23%). Sheep meat accounted for the remaining 75,000 tonnes.
Slaughterings fell by 44,000 tonnes (-4%). Pigs were the main driver of this, with pig slaughterings down by 32,000 tonnes (-10%) and beef & veal slaughterings contracting by 22,000 tonnes (-4%).
The net export of all meat (i.e. exports less imports) fell by 89,000 tonnes (-12%) to 626,000 tonnes. Pig meat accounted for 46,000 tonnes of this reduction.
Ireland’s self-sufficiency in total meat fell from 261% to 230% in 2023. Self-sufficiency decreased for all categories of meat except for sheep meat, which rose from 397% to 405%. Pig meat experienced the largest fall, with the self-sufficiency rate for pork down from 238% to 198%.
| Table 1.1: Meat Supply Balance, 2021–2023 | |||
| Supply | Exports | Domestic Uses | |
| '000 tonnes (carcass weight equivalent) | |||
| 2021 | 1,428 | 962 | 466 |
| 2022 | 1,484 | 1,006 | 479 |
| 2023 | 1,436 | 912 | 523 |
In 2023, the total supply of meat in Ireland is estimated at 1.44 million tonnes, a decrease of 49,000 tonnes (-3%) on the previous year. Of the available supply, beef & veal accounted for 45%, pork 27%, and poultry 23%. The remaining 5% came from sheep meat.
The volume of slaughterings decreased by 44,000 tonnes (-4%) to 1.15 million tonnes. Beef & veal slaughterings contracted by 22,000 tonnes (-4%) to 600,000 tonnes while pig slaughterings declined by 32,000 tonnes (-10%) to 300,000 tonnes. Poultry slaughterings increased by 8,000 tonnes (+5%) to 179,000 tonnes while sheep slaughterings grew by 1,000 tonnes (+2%) to 70,000 tonnes.
The net export (i.e. exports minus imports) of all meats decreased by 89,000 tonnes (-12%) to 626,000 tonnes. Pork accounted for 46,000 tonnes of this reduction, poultry a further 24,000 tonnes, and beef & veal another 21,000 tonnes. Poultry was the only category of meat where the volume of imports exceeded exports. The net import (i.e. imports minus exports) of poultry meat increased by 24,000 tonnes (+55%) to 67,000 tonnes due to imports growing by 7,000 tonnes (+5%) and exports contracting by 17,000 tonnes (-16%).
Ireland’s rate of self-sufficiency in meat was 230% for 2023, down from 261% the previous year. Sheep meat was the only category of meat that saw an increase in its self-sufficiency rate, growing from 397% to 405%. The self-sufficiency rate for beef & veal fell from 694% to 680%, the rate for pork decreased from 238% to 198%, and for poultry it was down from 78% to 71%.
Gross Indigenous Production (GIP) of total meat decreased by 47,000 tonnes (-4%) to 1.20 million tonnes in 2023, with pork accounting for 36,000 tonnes of this reduction.
The per capita annual average human consumption of meat in Ireland rose by 5kg (+6%) to 99kg in 2023. This increase is largely attributable to a rise in the average consumption of poultry, which increased by 5kg (+11%) to 47kg. Almost half (47%) of all meat eaten in Ireland during 2023 was poultry, followed by pork at 32%, and beef & veal at 18%. The remaining 3% was sheep meat. When analysing these results, it is important to note that trade data for 2023 is not yet finalised, so they may still change.
| X-axis label | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Beef & Veal | 17.9 |
| Pig Meat | 32.2 |
| Sheep Meat | 2.9 |
| Poultry Meat | 47 |
Figure 1.2 shows the percentage share of each meat category in total Gross Indigenous Production (GIP) from 2021-2023.
| X-axis label | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef & Veal | 50.9 | 52.4 | 52.8 |
| Pig Meat | 30.3 | 29.6 | 27.7 |
| Sheep Meat | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5 |
| Poultry Meat | 14.3 | 13.3 | 14.4 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (14 October 2024) published Meat Supply Balance results for 2023.
Commenting on the release, Mairead Griffin, Statistician in the Agricultural Accounts and Production Section, said: “In 2023, the supply of meat in the Irish market fell by 49,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.44 million tonnes. Of the available supply, beef & veal accounted for 45%, followed by pork (27%), poultry (23%) and sheep meat (5%). Total slaughterings contracted by 44,000 tonnes (-4%), with pork accounting for 32,000 tonnes of this reduction.
The net export of meat (i.e. exports less imports) declined by 89,000 tonnes (-12%) to 626,000 tonnes. With the exception of sheep meat, which saw net exports rise by 1,000 tonnes (+3%), all other meat types experienced a fall in net exports.
The self-sufficiency rate for all meats, which measures the extent to which the production of Irish meat can meet domestic demand, fell from 261% to 230%. The self-sufficiency rate for poultry, which is the only category of meat in which Ireland is not self-sufficient, fell from 78% in 2022 to 71% in 2023. It is worth noting that almost half (47%) of all meat eaten in Ireland during 2023 was poultry. However, it should be noted that trade data for 2023 is not yet finalised, so these figures are subject to change.”