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For more information on this release:
E-mail: agri@cso.ie Paul Deane (+353) 21 453 5560 Angela Hickey (+353) 21 453 5316
For general information on CSO statistics:
information@cso.ie (+353) 21 453 5000 On-line ISSN 1393-7278
CSO statistical release, , 11am

Crops and Livestock Survey June Final Results

June 2017

   Total Cereals  Cattle   Sheep
     '000 hectares(ha)  
     '000      '000
June 2016281.17,221.25,179.2
June 2017272.47,363.55,197.1
% change-3.1+2.0+0.3

Area under cereals down 3.1% in June 2017

Figure 1 Area under cereals
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The final results for June 2017 show that the area under cereals decreased by 8,700 hectares (ha) (-3.1%) to 272,400 ha when compared to June 2016. This was mainly due to a decrease of 9,600 ha (-12.9%) in the area under winter barley and a decrease of 800 ha (-10.2%) in the area under spring wheat. See Table 1.

The results also show that the total number of cattle was 7,363,500, an increase of 142,300 (+2.0%) on June 2016. The number of cattle 2 years and over (excluding cows and bulls) increased by 72,600 (+10.1%), cattle 1-2 years increased by 60,700 (+3.3%) and dairy cows increased by 34,800 (+2.5%). See Table 2.

A comparison with the June 2016 results show that:

  • Sheep numbers increased by  (+0.3%) to 5,197,100. Breeding sheep were up 10,800 (+0.4%) and other sheep (non-breeding) were up 7,200 (+0.3%). See Table 2.
  • Pig numbers decreased by 37,500 (-2.3%) to 1,556,900. Breeding pigs were down 3.5% and non-breeding pigs down by 2.2%. See Table 2.
  • The area under potatoes increased by 1.5% to 9,200 ha. See Table 1.

A regional analysis of the livestock numbers shows that the largest number of cattle (1,464,300) was in the South-West region, the largest number of sheep (1,417,300) was in the West region and the largest number of pigs (430,300) was in the Border region. See Tables 4 and 5.

X-axis labelSheepCattle
Border1137.9908.2
Mid-East & Dublin816.5635.3
Midland325.6877.6
Mid-West1371077.1
South-East648.61448.5
South-West714.21464.3
West1417.3952.5
X-axis label% Change
Winter wheat-0.2
Spring wheat-10.2
Winter oats8.8
Spring oats0.7
Winter barley-12.9
Spring barley0.5
Potatoes1.5
Table 1 Area under Crops and Pasture
DescriptionJune 2015June 2016June 2017   Change 2016 - 2017
' 000 hectares' 000 hectares%
Wheat - total65.367.967.0-0.9-1.3
  Winter wheat55.360.460.3-0.1-0.2
  Spring wheat10.17.56.8-0.8-10.2
      
Oats - total23.423.224.41.25.3
  Winter oats11.413.214.41.28.8
  Spring oats12.110.010.00.10.7
      
Barley - total202.8189.2180.2-9.0-4.8
  Winter barley69.874.665.0-9.6-12.9
  Spring barley133.0114.6115.20.60.5
      
Other cereals0.90.80.80.0-3.3
      
Total cereals292.4281.1272.4-8.7-3.1
      
Beans and peas10.712.513.71.29.9
Oilseed rape8.99.910.10.22.3
Arable silage3.53.52.9-0.7-18.6
Maize silage12.910.911.91.08.8
Fodder rape and kale1.71.61.60.0-0.8
Potatoes8.59.09.20.11.5
Turnips1.11.10.8-0.2-22.1
Beet 19.69.510.00.55.2
Vegetables for sale3.23.63.60.00.5
Fruit0.90.80.80.02.5
Nurseries, horticulture etc.0.50.50.50.0-1.9
Other crops 25.87.77.6-0.1-1.2
      
Total crops, fruit and horticulture359.7351.7345.1-6.6-1.9
      
Silage1,071.11,066.81,206.4139.613.1
Hay195.7188.4211.823.412.4
Pasture2,299.42,307.82,177.3-130.6-5.7
      
Crops and Pasture3,926.03,914.83,940.625.80.7
      
Rough grazing in use503.6532.4530.0-2.4-0.5
      
Area farmed4,429.54,447.24,470.523.40.5
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 2015June 2016June 2017   Change 2016 - 2017
' 000 ' 000 %
Total cattle6,963.57,221.27,363.5142.32.0
    Dairy cows 11,295.81,397.91,432.734.82.5
    Other cows1,075.81,103.71,081.0-22.7-2.1
    Bulls 236.525.016.9-8.1-32.4
    Cattle male: 2 years and over423.8391.1431.740.610.4
    Cattle female: 2 years and over384.4324.4356.431.99.8
    Cattle male: 1-2 years789.6872.7902.329.63.4
    Cattle female: 1-2 years915.5980.51,011.631.13.2
    Cattle male: under 1 year994.41,045.61,033.5-12.1-1.2
    Cattle female: under 1 year1,047.81,080.31,097.417.11.6
      
   Total cattle male2,244.22,334.52,384.550.02.1
   Total cattle female 4,719.34,886.74,979.092.31.9
      
Total sheep5,138.75,179.25,197.117.90.3
  Breeding sheep2,563.92,582.82,593.510.80.4
    Ewes: 2 years and over2,033.12,025.12,033.07.90.4
    Ewes: under 2 years454.9479.9482.22.30.5
    Rams75.877.878.40.60.7
  Other sheep2,574.92,596.42,603.67.20.3
      
Total pigs1,536.91,594.31,556.9-37.5-2.3
  Breeding pigs149.3149.9144.7-5.2-3.5
    Female breeding pigs147.8148.5143.4-5.1-3.5
    Boars1.41.41.3-0.1-6.5
  Other pigs1,387.61,444.41,412.2-32.2-2.2
    20kg and over941.7999.11,002.13.00.3
    Less than 20kg445.9445.3410.1-35.2-7.9
      
Horses and ponies 393.192.284.9-7.4-8.0
      
Mules, jennets and asses8.99.210.81.617.9
      
Goats 410.89.98.3-1.6-16.0
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.
Table 3 Area under Crops and Pasture in each Region, June 2017' 000 ha
RegionBorder, Midland and Western Southern and EasternState
Border MidlandWest Total Mid-East & DublinMid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestTotal
 
Wheat - total5.95.10.311.3 32.80.816.06.155.767.0
  Winter wheat5.54.70.210.4 31.00.614.14.349.960.3
  Spring wheat0.30.40.10.9 1.80.22.01.85.96.8
            
Oats - total2.32.30.75.3 6.60.49.13.119.124.4
  Winter oats1.21.40.12.7 4.90.25.31.311.714.4
  Spring oats1.01.00.62.6 1.70.23.81.77.410.0
            
Barley - total12.922.13.138.1 39.26.067.629.4142.1180.2
  Winter barley6.76.80.914.4 18.32.618.711.250.665.0
  Spring barley6.215.32.323.7 20.93.448.918.291.5115.2
            
Other cereals0.10.20.00.3 0.20.00.20.00.50.8
            
Total cereals21.129.74.255.0 78.87.292.938.6217.4272.4
            
Beans and peas0.61.00.01.7 4.90.05.41.712.113.7
Oilseed rape0.60.90.01.5 4.60.13.40.58.610.1
Arable silage0.50.50.21.2 0.30.20.60.61.72.9
Maize silage1.30.70.12.0 2.40.44.03.19.811.9
Fodder rape and kale0.00.30.20.6 0.20.10.40.21.01.6
Potatoes1.90.20.12.2 4.00.12.10.87.09.2
Turnips0.10.10.10.3 0.30.00.20.10.60.8
Beet 10.21.50.21.9 1.20.33.82.88.110.0
Vegetables for sale0.20.20.10.6 1.90.00.80.33.03.6
Fruit0.10.00.00.1 0.30.00.30.10.70.8
Nurseries, horticulture etc.0.00.00.00.0 0.10.00.20.10.40.5
Other crops 20.70.80.21.7 2.60.42.30.75.97.6
            
Crops, fruit and horticulture27.436.05.468.8 101.48.9116.549.6276.3345.1
            
Silage174.9141.0198.9514.9 85.8166.2177.0262.5691.51,206.4
Hay 29.633.137.3100.0 24.640.925.121.3111.8211.8
Pasture364.7214.2436.81,015.7 203.6309.3314.2334.51,161.52,177.3
            
Crops and pasture596.6424.3678.51,699.4 415.3525.2632.8667.92,241.23,940.6
            
Rough grazing in use148.537.5120.3306.3 31.238.130.7123.6223.6530.0
            
Area farmed745.1461.8798.82,005.7 446.5563.3663.5791.62,464.94,470.5
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 2017' 000
Region and CountyTotal   DairyOther Bulls 2CattleCattleCattleCattleCattleCattle Total CattleTotal Cattle
Cattle Cows 1Cows Male 2+Female 2+Male 1-2Female 1-2Male <1Female < 1MaleFemale
State7,363.51,432.71,081.016.9431.7356.4902.31,011.61,033.51,097.42,384.54,979.0
             
Border, Midland and Western2,738.3289.5577.07.6164.6167.7340.2386.6400.0405.3912.31,826.1
   Border908.2120.2193.12.542.253.2105.0123.8130.8137.4280.4627.8
     Cavan232.737.347.00.79.212.523.832.732.636.966.3166.4
     Donegal185.719.941.80.56.59.027.123.131.027.065.0120.7
     Leitrim64.52.025.40.31.53.63.46.910.311.215.549.0
     Louth94.416.612.20.28.87.711.314.310.712.531.063.4
     Monaghan 215.836.234.20.511.313.228.531.828.831.369.1146.7
     Sligo 115.18.232.50.44.87.311.015.117.418.433.581.6
             
   Midland877.6108.9138.52.063.052.5126.6133.2128.0124.8319.6558.0
     Laois264.941.934.90.517.911.743.036.741.736.6103.1161.8
     Longford117.69.727.40.48.77.414.916.116.116.840.177.5
     Offaly259.329.933.90.518.716.140.242.239.838.199.1160.2
     Westmeath235.727.542.30.617.717.228.538.230.433.377.2158.5
             
   West952.560.3245.43.159.462.1108.6129.5141.2143.1312.2640.3
     Galway 453.035.4107.41.430.628.253.061.467.268.3152.3300.7
     Mayo284.617.980.10.814.518.329.136.743.044.187.5197.1
     Roscommon215.07.057.80.814.215.626.431.431.130.772.5142.5
             
Southern and Eastern4,625.21,143.2504.09.3267.1188.6562.1625.1633.6692.11,472.23,153.0
   Mid-East and Dublin635.3104.089.01.350.442.386.894.080.287.2218.7416.6
    Dublin24.33.13.80.11.73.22.54.32.63.06.817.4
    Kildare147.417.221.10.315.49.224.721.019.519.059.987.5
    Meath332.160.740.80.628.023.446.050.338.543.7113.1219.0
    Wicklow131.523.023.20.45.36.513.518.419.621.638.892.7
             
   Mid-West1,077.1214.7146.82.771.547.5135.1139.8159.5159.4368.8708.2
    Clare296.132.774.81.116.913.931.933.345.246.295.2200.9
    Limerick447.9116.939.50.930.118.453.859.562.566.2147.4300.6
    North Tipperary333.065.132.60.624.415.149.447.051.847.0126.3206.8
             
   South-East1,448.5355.0140.22.583.050.0194.7197.8209.3216.1489.4959.0
    Carlow107.314.917.10.25.65.215.015.617.516.138.468.9
    Kilkenny376.085.335.80.623.012.055.750.058.654.9137.9238.1
    South Tipperary383.6100.630.10.627.611.952.650.253.956.2134.7248.9
    Waterford276.381.622.80.514.58.431.537.536.942.783.4192.9
    Wexford305.372.634.40.612.312.539.944.542.346.395.1210.2
             
   South-West1,464.3469.5127.92.862.248.8145.5193.5184.7229.4395.21,069.1
    Cork1,119.9369.679.92.049.135.3118.7149.4142.2173.7311.9808.0
    Kerry344.599.948.00.913.213.526.844.142.455.883.3261.2
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 2017' 000
RegionBorder, Midland and Western Southern and EasternState
Border MidlandWest Total Mid-East & DublinMid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestTotal
 
Total sheep1,137.9325.61,417.32,880.8 816.5137.0648.6714.22,316.45,197.1
  Breeding sheep582.5156.7694.41,433.6 393.764.2327.9374.11,159.92,593.5
    Ewes: 2 years and over460.3126.3539.11,125.8 299.050.2262.1296.0907.22,033.0
    Ewes: under 2 years103.926.1132.9262.9 84.410.357.167.5219.3482.2
    Rams18.34.322.445.0 10.43.88.710.533.478.4
  Other sheep555.4168.9722.91,447.2 422.772.8320.7340.21,156.42,603.6
            
Total pigs430.3294.951.2776.3 79.398.7339.0263.6780.61,556.9
  Breeding pigs39.025.74.469.0 8.89.733.823.375.7144.7
    Female breeding pigs38.325.54.468.2 8.89.733.723.075.2143.4
    Boars0.70.10.00.8 0.00.00.10.30.51.3
  Other pigs391.3269.246.8707.3 70.589.0305.2240.3704.91,412.2
    20kg and over283.5203.530.5517.5 43.963.9214.1162.7484.61,002.1
    Less than 20kg107.965.716.2189.8 26.625.191.177.6220.3410.1
            
Horses and ponies 19.07.717.033.6 15.79.514.012.051.284.9
            
Mules, jennets and asses2.10.52.85.4 0.43.50.51.15.510.8
            
Goats 20.81.41.63.8 1.11.11.21.04.58.3
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 2017 at State and regional level. The estimates for sheep and pigs are based on returns from the 2017 June sample survey of agricultural holdings and the June 2017 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 2017 goat results are obtained from DAFM’s 2016 December Sheep and Goat Census. 

Sheep  The June 2017 results for sheep are based on the trends obtained by comparing the returns from the 2017 sample with the 2016 returns for the same 8,700 farms and applying these trends to the June 2016 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 NUTS2 Region      Southern and Eastern NUTS2 Region          
Border Cavan Dublin Dublin City
  Donegal   Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
  Leitrim   Fingal
  Louth   South Dublin
  Monaghan    
  Sligo Mid-East Kildare
      Meath
Midland Laois   Wicklow
  Longford    
  Offaly Mid-West Clare
  Westmeath   Limerick City
      Limerick County
West Galway City   North Tipperary
  Galway County    
  Mayo South-East Carlow
  Roscommon   Kilkenny
      South Tipperary
      Waterford City
      Waterford County
      Wexford
       
    South-West Cork City
      Cork County
      Kerry
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