The objective of a supply balance is to reconcile the total supplies of a product with the various uses of that product, including changes in stock levels. Supply balance sheets are compiled using harmonised concepts agreed between European Union member states.
The total supply of meat consists of the meat available from livestock slaughterings and imports. This supply may be used for exports, domestic uses or held in stock for future use. Only exports of meat and meat products need to be accounted for as animals exported live do not constitute part of the supply. Imports of live animals are also not accounted for separately as the imported live animals are slaughtered in the country and accounted for on the supply side as meat.
Supply and use must balance each other, i.e. the following equation must hold in any given year
Slaughterings + Imports of meat = Exports of meat + Domestic uses + Change in stocks
To ensure that the above equation always holds, one item in each product balance is always calculated as a balancing residual. The balancing item depends on the type of meat. For years prior to 2023, the balancing item for Beef & Veal and Sheep meat was exports and for Pig and Poultry meat was domestic uses. From 2023 onwards, the balancing item for all meat types is domestic uses.
The figures for livestock slaughterings include all meat establishments approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) under S.I. 22 of 2020. The collection of monthly slaughtering data for cattle, sheep, and pigs is governed by Regulation (EU) 2022/2379 and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/2745.
Data on the import and export of meat and meat products are derived from the CSO’s external trade statistics. The raw tonnage of internationally traded meat and meat products is converted to its carcass weight equivalent using a set of conversion factors agreed with European and national industry experts.
The source of the CSO’s external trade data is data submitted to the Revenue Commissioners by traders. While every effort is made to ensure that correct data are supplied by traders, nevertheless errors and omissions are possible.
Variation in stocks is the net difference between the movement of products into and out of stock during the year. The variation in the stock of meat and meat products is usually very small compared to other items of the balance and, for this release, is assumed to be negligible.
Up to the year 2022, estimates for the domestic use of Beef & Veal and Sheep meat were provided by Bord Bia, while estimates for Poultry and Pork were derived as the balancing item, i.e. they are estimated as the net difference between the available supply and export of these meat types. Since 2023, the volume of domestically used meat for all meat types are calculated as the balancing item, with Bord Bia providing their expert review of the Beef & Veal and Sheep calculations. Therefore, the results of the old and new series may not be directly comparable. The domestic uses of meat include mainly human consumption both in households and services establishments such as restaurants and bars. It is assumed that the amount of meat used for other purposes, such as animal feed and losses, are negligible.
The estimates of per capita human consumption are derived by dividing the volume of meat consumed domestically by the population estimate produced annually by the CSO. No account is taken of meat consumed while on overseas and cross-border trips.
Gross indigenous production (GIP) is calculated as livestock slaughterings plus exports of live animals minus imports of live animals, with all three items converted to carcass weight equivalent.
GIP = Livestock slaughterings + Live exports – Live imports
Self-sufficiency is defined as Gross Indigenous Production expressed as a percentage of domestic uses. Self-sufficiency in excess of 100% for any of the products means that the country is a net exporter of the given product.
All figures in the release are shown in carcass weight equivalents.
The average carcass weights used for the conversion are provided by DAFM (finished animals) and industry experts (calves and young cattle). The numbers of live animals traded in and out of the country are provided by DAFM.
For cattle, the carcass weight is defined as the slaughtered animal’s cold body weight after being skinned, bled and eviscerated and after removal of external genitalia, the limbs at the carpus and tarsus, head, tail, kidneys and kidney fats and the udder.
For sheep, the carcass weight is defined as the slaughtered animal’s cold body weight after being skinned, bled and eviscerated and after removal of the head, feet, tail and genital organs including the udder. Kidneys and kidney fats are included in the carcass weight.
For pigs, the carcass weight is defined as the slaughtered animal’s cold body weight either whole or divided in half along the mid-line, after being bled and eviscerated and after the removal of the tongue, bristles, hooves, genitalia, flare fat, kidneys and diaphragm.
For poultry, the carcass weight means the animal plucked and drawn, without head and feet, and without neck, heart, liver and gizzard.
When preparing the estimates for the current year’s release (year T), routine revisions are made to the estimates for the two previous years also (i.e. years T-1 and T-2). These revisions to previously published meat supply estimates tend to be minor and usually do not significantly impact on the overall results. For further details on the revisions policy, please refer to the release’s Quality Report.
Individual figures have been rounded independently and therefore the component items may not add to the totals shown or, in the case of percentages, to 100%.
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