Preliminary estimates from the June 2001 agricultural survey show the number of Irish cattle (7,263,500) was up 0.4 per cent on the previous year, the Central Statistics Office(CSO) said.
The number of male cattle of two years and over fell by 11 per cent (91,100), and there was also a decrease of 8.9 per cent (17,900) in the number of dairy heifers.
But the CSO said these decreases were offset by increases in other cows (25,800), female cows of two years and over (23,500), females aged one to two years (33,600) and females under one year (29,800).
The area under the main cereals (wheat, oats and barley) increased by 700 hectres (0.3 per cent) to 283,300 hectares.
The area under winters cereals for 2001 has fallen (22,900 hectares) but has been compensated for by an increase (23,700 hectares) in the area under spring-sown cereals.
A comparison with the June 2000 provisional results indicates that:
- Sheep numbers fell by 1.8 per cent mainly due to a decrease of 180,900 in ewes.
- The area under potatoes fell 0.7 per cent to 13,690 hectares. These results are provisional. Final figures will be available in Spring 2002 after the Census of Agriculture 2000 figures are published.