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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 2018

   Total Cereals  Cattle   Sheep
     '000 hectares(ha)  
     '000      '000
June 2017272.47,363.55,197.1
June 2018261.67,348.55,109.3
% change-4.0-0.2-1.7

Area under cereals down 4.0% in June 2018

Figure 1 Area under cereals
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The final results for June 2018 show that the area under cereals decreased by 10,800 hectares (ha) (-4.0%) to 261,600 ha when compared to June 2017. This was mainly due to a decrease of 9,100 ha (-13.5%) in the area under wheat, a decrease of 7,200 ha (-11.0%) in the area under winter barley and a decrease of 6,700 ha (-27.3%) in the area under oats. The area under spring barley increased by 12,200 ha (+10.6%). See Table 1.

The results also show that the total number of sheep was 5,109,300, a drop of 87,800 (-1.7%) on June 2017. The number of non-breeding sheep was down 2.3% and breeding sheep down 1.1%. See Table 2.

A comparison with the June 2017 results show that:

  • Cattle numbers decreased by 15,000 (-0.2%) to 7,348,500. The number of dairy cows was up by 48,200 (+3.4%), while other cows dropped by 33,100 (-3.1%). See Table 2.
  • Pig numbers increased by 65,100 (+4.2%) to 1,621,900. Non-breeding pigs were up 4.3% and breeding pigs up by 2.7%. See Table 2.
  • The area under potatoes decreased by 10.4% to 8,200 ha. See Table 1.

A regional analysis of the livestock numbers shows that the largest number of cattle (1,467,200) was in the South-West region, the largest number of sheep (1,412,300) was in the West region and the largest number of pigs (446,200) was in the Border region. See Tables 4 and 5.

From the 1st January 2018 an Amendment of the EU NUTS legislation came into effect. This reflects the new regional assembly structure and other changes to the Local Government Act for Tipperary North, Tipperary South and Limerick and Waterford City and Councils. For the composition of the new Regions breakdown and further information see background notes.

Pasture and rough grazing values for 2017 have been revised due to consistency checks with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's Basic Payment Scheme.
X-axis labelCattleSheep
Border797.51015.9
West938.61412.3
Mid-West1451.5236.1
South-East1075.9551.7
South-West1467.2680.2
Mid-East & Dublin735.8911.2
Midland881.8301.9
X-axis label% Change
Winter wheat-9.7
Spring wheat-47.5
Winter oats-29.3
Spring oats-24.3
Winter barley-11
Spring barley10.6
Potatoes-10.4
Table 1 Area under Crops and Pasture
DescriptionJune 2016June 2017June 2018   Change 2017 - 2018
' 000 hectares' 000 hectares%
Wheat - total67.967.058.0-9.1-13.5
  Winter wheat60.460.354.4-5.9-9.7
  Spring wheat7.56.83.6-3.2-47.5
      
Oats - total23.224.417.8-6.7-27.3
  Winter oats13.214.410.2-4.2-29.3
  Spring oats10.010.07.6-2.4-24.3
      
Barley - total189.2180.2185.25.02.8
  Winter barley74.665.057.9-7.2-11.0
  Spring barley114.6115.2127.412.210.6
      
Other cereals0.80.80.6-0.1-17.8
      
Total cereals281.1272.4261.6-10.8-4.0
      
Beans and peas12.513.78.5-5.2-38.0
Oilseed rape9.910.110.60.55.0
Arable silage3.52.93.30.515.8
Maize silage10.911.917.85.949.5
Fodder rape and kale1.61.61.5-0.1-8.6
Potatoes9.09.28.2-1.0-10.4
Turnips1.10.80.90.18.6
Beet 19.510.011.31.413.8
Vegetables for sale3.63.63.6-0.1-1.5
Fruit0.80.80.80.0-4.9
Nurseries, horticulture etc.0.50.50.50.04.4
Other crops 221.828.128.40.41.3
      
Total crops, fruit and horticulture365.8365.6357.0-8.6-2.3
      
Silage1,066.81,088.9 31,064.5-24.4-2.2
Hay188.4192.1 3191.9-0.2-0.1
Pasture2,307.82,322.7 32,378.756.12.4
      
Crops and Pasture3,928.83,969.3 33,992.222.90.6
      
Rough grazing in use532.4520.2 3524.13.90.8
      
Area farmed4,461.24,489.54,516.326.80.6
1 Includes sugar beet and fodder beet.
2 Includes other crops not specified elsewhere in the table, miscanthus, fallow land & wild bird cover account for over 80% of this area. See Background Notes.
3 Revised. Pasture & Rough grazing values revised due to consistency checks with DAFM's Basic Payment Scheme.
Table 2 Number of Livestock
DescriptionJune 2016June 2017June 2018   Change 2017 - 2018
' 000 ' 000 %
Total cattle7,221.27,363.57,348.5-15.0-0.2
    Dairy cows 11,397.91,432.71,480.948.23.4
    Other cows1,103.71,081.01,047.9-33.1-3.1
    Bulls 225.016.910.9-6.0-35.5
    Cattle male: 2 years and over391.1431.7442.510.82.5
    Cattle female: 2 years and over324.4356.4369.312.93.6
    Cattle male: 1-2 years872.7902.3895.0-7.3-0.8
    Cattle female: 1-2 years980.51,011.61,023.712.01.2
    Cattle male: under 1 year1,045.61,033.5998.1-35.5-3.4
    Cattle female: under 1 year1,080.31,097.41,080.3-17.1-1.6
      
   Total cattle male2,334.52,384.52,346.5-38.0-1.6
   Total cattle female 4,886.74,979.05,002.023.00.5
      
Total sheep5,179.25,197.15,109.3-87.8-1.7
  Breeding sheep2,582.82,593.52,565.5-28.0-1.1
    Ewes: 2 years and over2,025.12,033.02,021.7-11.2-0.6
    Ewes: under 2 years479.9482.2467.8-14.4-3.0
    Rams77.878.476.0-2.4-3.0
  Other sheep2,596.42,603.62,543.9-59.8-2.3
      
Total pigs1,594.31,556.91,621.965.14.2
  Breeding pigs149.9144.7148.74.02.7
    Female breeding pigs148.5143.4147.44.02.8
    Boars1.41.31.3-0.1-5.1
  Other pigs1,444.41,412.21,473.361.14.3
    20kg and over999.11,002.11,021.419.31.9
    Less than 20kg445.3410.1451.941.810.2
      
Horses and ponies 392.284.984.3-0.5-0.6
      
Mules, jennets and asses9.210.89.2-1.6-14.7
      
Goats 49.98.39.31.112.8
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 2018' 000 ha
RegionNorthern and Western Southern Eastern and MidlandState
Border West Total Mid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestTotal Mid-East & DublinMidlandTotal
Wheat - total0.60.10.7 3.910.14.718.7 34.54.038.558.0
  Winter wheat0.40.10.5 3.59.53.916.9 33.33.837.154.4
  Spring wheat0.20.10.2 0.40.60.81.9 1.20.31.43.6
              
Oats - total0.50.71.2 1.65.51.99.0 5.81.77.517.8
  Winter oats0.10.10.2 1.03.30.64.9 4.20.85.110.2
  Spring oats0.40.61.0 0.62.21.34.1 1.60.82.57.6
              
Barley - total3.42.86.3 15.359.929.3104.5 52.322.274.4185.2
  Winter barley1.30.41.7 6.911.29.827.9 22.06.228.257.9
  Spring barley2.22.44.6 8.448.719.576.6 30.216.046.2127.4
              
Other cereals0.00.00.0 0.00.10.00.2 0.20.20.40.6
              
Total cereals4.63.68.3 20.975.736.0132.5 92.828.1120.8261.6
              
Beans and peas0.00.00.0 0.42.90.94.2 3.70.64.38.5
Oilseed rape0.00.00.1 0.72.50.43.6 5.81.16.910.6
Arable silage0.50.20.7 0.20.70.81.7 0.40.50.93.3
Maize silage0.20.10.3 1.45.14.711.1 5.31.06.317.8
Fodder rape and kale0.00.20.2 0.10.30.20.6 0.30.40.61.5
Potatoes0.80.00.9 0.21.90.72.9 4.30.14.58.2
Turnips0.00.10.1 0.00.30.10.4 0.30.10.40.9
Beet 10.00.30.3 0.73.83.07.6 1.71.73.411.3
Vegetables for sale0.00.10.1 0.10.70.21.0 2.20.22.43.6
Fruit0.00.00.0 0.10.30.00.4 0.30.00.40.8
Nurseries, horticulture etc.0.00.00.0 0.10.20.10.4 0.10.00.10.5
Other crops 23.15.18.3 2.65.52.911.0 5.24.09.228.4
              
Crops, fruit and horticulture9.59.819.3 27.599.950.1177.5 122.437.8160.2357.0
              
Silage141.4176.9318.3 198.9122.9215.6537.4 83.4125.4208.81,064.5
Hay 24.931.656.4 54.915.515.886.3 24.424.849.2191.9
Pasture372.6504.4877.1 412.5229.7380.81,023.0 242.6236.0478.62,378.7
              
Crops and pasture548.3722.71,271.0 693.9468.0662.41,824.2 472.8424.0896.93,992.2
              
Rough grazing in use121.6121.1242.7 47.522.2130.0199.8 38.743.081.7524.1
              
Area farmed670.0843.81,513.8 741.4490.2792.42,024.0 511.5467.0978.54,516.3
1 Includes sugar beet and fodder beet.
2 Includes other crops not specified elsewhere in the table, miscanthus, fallow land & wild bird cover account for over 80% of this area. See Background Notes.
Table 4 Number of Cattle in each Region and County, June 2018' 000
Region and CountyTotal   DairyOther Bulls 2CattleCattleCattleCattleCattleCattle Total CattleTotal Cattle
Cattle Cows 1Cows Male 2+Female 2+Male 1-2Female 1-2Male <1Female < 1MaleFemale
State7,348.51,480.91,047.910.9442.5369.3895.01,023.7998.11,080.32,346.55,002.0
             
Northern and Western1,736.2166.7411.93.691.1107.7199.8237.6254.8262.9549.31,186.8
   Border797.5104.4173.51.532.645.991.6108.3117.4122.3243.2554.4
     Cavan228.437.545.00.49.212.523.233.032.035.664.8163.6
     Donegal183.020.640.20.36.19.127.022.730.326.863.7119.4
     Leitrim62.32.024.00.21.73.53.37.010.010.715.247.1
     Monaghan 212.336.333.20.311.013.327.331.128.631.367.2145.2
     Sligo 111.48.031.10.34.77.610.714.716.617.832.379.2
             
   West938.662.3238.42.158.561.8108.2129.3137.4140.7306.2632.5
     Galway 446.836.2104.71.030.028.353.261.964.567.0148.7298.2
     Mayo279.318.077.70.514.417.629.136.742.143.286.1193.2
     Roscommon212.58.155.90.514.215.925.930.730.730.471.4141.1
             
Southern3,994.71,073.7401.25.0225.0153.2470.2539.2529.5597.71,229.62,765.0
   Mid-West1,451.5325.2170.72.199.862.1183.2192.6204.6211.3489.7961.9
    Clare289.433.172.70.716.813.531.932.443.644.793.0196.4
    Limerick443.9118.937.80.630.219.552.360.159.664.8142.7301.2
    Tipperary718.2173.260.20.852.829.099.0100.0101.4101.8254.0464.3
             
   South-East1,075.9269.6105.71.259.940.4143.6152.1145.3158.1350.0725.9
    Carlow109.716.016.40.26.36.016.216.116.715.939.470.4
    Kilkenny378.390.134.50.425.012.155.351.254.655.0135.4242.9
    Waterford276.085.621.30.315.09.330.538.633.741.579.6196.4
    Wexford311.977.933.50.413.513.141.446.240.345.795.6216.3
             
   South-West1,467.2478.8124.71.765.450.8143.4194.5179.6228.4390.01,077.2
    Cork1,125.0378.277.71.252.036.8117.9151.1138.1172.0309.3815.8
    Kerry342.2100.647.10.513.314.025.443.441.456.480.7261.4
             
Eastern and Midland1,617.7240.5234.92.3126.4108.3225.0246.9213.8219.6567.61,050.1
   Mid-East and Dublin735.8125.999.01.060.652.997.1111.989.398.2248.0487.9
    Dublin24.62.94.30.01.63.52.54.22.63.16.717.9
    Kildare148.817.820.50.216.810.424.222.218.418.359.689.2
    Louth94.617.412.30.17.68.211.014.610.712.729.465.2
    Meath334.263.539.50.428.824.244.751.938.342.8112.2221.9
    Wicklow133.724.222.50.35.86.614.819.019.221.440.093.7
             
   Midland881.8114.6135.81.365.855.4127.9135.0124.6121.4319.6562.3
     Laois271.745.034.70.320.112.444.237.840.237.0104.8166.9
     Longford114.810.026.40.38.57.714.316.115.516.138.576.3
     Offaly262.431.533.20.319.417.441.344.039.635.9100.6161.9
     Westmeath232.828.241.60.417.818.028.137.129.332.475.6157.2
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 2018' 000
RegionNorthern and Western Southern Eastern and MidlandState
Border West Total Mid-WestSouth-EastSouth-WestTotal Mid-East & DublinMidlandTotal
Total sheep1,015.91,412.32,428.2 236.1551.7680.21,467.9 911.2301.91,213.25,109.3
  Breeding sheep531.0693.81,224.8 119.1274.0361.0754.1 437.5149.0586.62,565.5
    Ewes: 2 years and over414.3546.9961.2 94.8216.4289.8601.0 337.7121.9459.52,021.7
    Ewes: under 2 years100.8125.5226.3 20.150.560.8131.4 87.422.7110.1467.8
    Rams15.921.537.3 4.27.010.421.7 12.54.517.076.0
  Other sheep484.9718.51,203.4 117.0277.7319.1713.8 473.7152.9626.62,543.9
              
Total pigs446.240.4486.6 200.3228.6299.7728.7 116.6290.1406.71,621.9
  Breeding pigs41.23.144.3 20.020.925.866.6 11.326.437.7148.7
    Female breeding pigs41.13.144.2 19.920.325.465.7 11.226.337.6147.4
    Boars0.10.00.1 0.10.50.31.0 0.00.10.11.3
  Other pigs404.937.3442.3 180.3207.7274.0662.0 105.3263.7369.01,473.3
    20kg and over280.426.4306.8 128.8141.0185.1454.9 68.9190.8259.71,021.4
    Less than 20kg124.511.0135.5 51.566.788.9207.1 36.472.9109.3451.9
              
Horses and ponies 16.117.423.5 12.812.310.235.2 17.87.825.684.3
              
Mules, jennets and asses1.62.94.6 2.50.41.03.9 0.40.40.79.2
              
Goats 21.21.42.6 1.80.81.13.6 1.71.43.19.3
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 2018 at State and regional level. The estimates for sheep and pigs are based on returns from the 2018 June sample survey of agricultural holdings and the June 2018 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. Please note that wild bird cover is included under the Other crops category for the first time in the 2018 release. Other crops has been revised for 2016 and 2017 to show comparable figures. The inclusion of this crop in 2016 and 2017 has an  impact on the following estimates for both of these years - Crops, fruit and horticulture, Crops and Pasture and Area Farmed.

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 2018 goat results are obtained from DAFM’s 2017 December Sheep and Goat Census. 

Sheep  The June 2018 results for sheep are based on the trends obtained by comparing the returns from the 2018 sample with the 2017 returns for the same 7,400 farms and applying these trends to the June 2017 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

From the 1st January 2018 an Amendment of the EU NUTS legislation came into effect. This reflects the new regional assembly structure and the other changes under the 2014 Local Government Act. These changes included:

  • The amalgamation of the local authorities of Tipperary North and South, Limerick City and County Councils, Waterford City and County Councils.
  • The establishment of three Regional Assemblies (Northern & Western, Southern, Eastern & Midland).
  • At NUTS 3 level, South Tipperary was transferred from the South-East into the Mid-West NUTS 3 Region and County Louth was moved from the Border to the Mid-East NUTS 3 region.
  • The establishment of the three NUTS 2 Regions which correspond to the three Regional Assemblies and are groupings of the new NUTS 3 Regions.

The composition of the new Regions breakdown is outlined below.  

Northern & Western NUTS2 Region Southern NUTS2 Region Eastern & Midland NUTS2 Region
Border Cavan Mid-West Clare Dublin Dublin City
  Donegal   Limerick City & County   Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
  Leitrim   Tipperary   Fingal
  Monaghan       South Dublin
  Sligo        
           
West Galway City South-East Carlow Mid-East Kildare
  Galway County   Kilkenny   Meath
  Mayo   Waterford City & County   Wicklow
  Roscommon   Wexford   Louth
           
    South-West Cork City Midland Laois
      Cork County   Longford
      Kerry   Offaly
          Westmeath

Results for June Crops and Livestock by region can be found on the CSO Statbank. The figures for 2016 to 2018 are available for the new NUTS regions structure. Data prior to 2016 are available using the older NUTS regions shown below.

Border, Midland and Western NUTS 2 Region   

Southern and Eastern NUTS 2 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
West Galway City   North Tipperary
  Galway    
  Mayo South-East          Carlow
  Roscommon                 Kilkenny
      South Tipperary
      Waterford City
      Waterford
      Wexford
       
    South-West Cork City
      Cork
      Kerry

 

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