Jack Wall
Question:168 Mr. Wall asked the Taoiseach the total number of the workforce involved in the beef industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1615/03]
Vol. 560 No. 1
168 Mr. Wall asked the Taoiseach the total number of the workforce involved in the beef industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1615/03]
In its broadest sense the beef industry gives rise to activity in both the industrial sector and the agriculture sector. The number of persons engaged in the activity of production and processing of beef and veal in beef factories in 2000 was 4,400. The following table details, for June 2000, the number of relevant farms, persons engaged in farm work full-time and part-time and annual work units undertaken for farms engaged in cattle production, classified by type of farming:
Farm Type |
Number of farms |
Number of persons |
Number of AnnualWork Units* |
Specialist dairying |
26,292 |
57,166 |
40,795 |
Specialist beef production |
72,141 |
121,109 |
72,919 |
Mixed grazing livestock |
20,729 |
37,686 |
24,167 |
Mixed crops and livestock |
3,644 |
7,450 |
4,921 |
169 Mr. Wall asked the Taoiseach the percentage the beef industry makes up of the total agricultural GDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1616/03]
The precise information requested by the Deputy is not available. In 2000, the value of cattle output accounted for about 29% of total goods output at producer prices in the agriculture sector. In 2002, the early estimate for the agricultural accounts valued it at about 26%. Goods output at producer prices values the output of the agricultural sector at the price received by the farmer. It excludes subsidies and levies. In 2000, the gross output of the industrial sector "production and preserving of beef and veal" amounted to €1,915 million. This represents about 2.1% of the total gross output of the manufacturing industry sector.
170 Mr. Wall asked the Taoiseach the beef herd count at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1617/03]
171 Mr. Wall asked the Taoiseach the national beef herd count for each of the new EU member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1618/03]
I propose to take questions Nos. 170 and 171 together.
The latest figures available for the number of cattle in Ireland are for June 2002. They are shown broken down by category in Table 1:
Table 1. Number of cattle in Ireland at 1 June 2002
Description |
Number ofAnimals* |
Dairy Cows |
1,257,200 |
Other Cows intended for Breeding |
1,137,800 |
Dairy Heifers |
208,100 |
Other Heifers |
110,400 |
Bulls |
48,400 |
Total Breeding Cattle |
2,762,000 |
Male: 2 years and over |
610,500 |
Female: 2 years and over |
356,800 |
Male: 1-2 years |
1,031,000 |
Female: 1-2 years |
653,300 |
Male: under 1 year |
917,200 |
Female: under 1 year |
854,200 |
Total Other Cattle |
4,423,100 |
Total Cattle |
7,185,000 |
EU Accession Countries |
Total Cattle |
Cyprus |
* |
Czech Republic |
1,491,000 |
Estonia |
273,200 |
Hungary |
779,000 |
Latvia |
398,200 |
Lithuania (1999) |
944,000 |
Malta (2000) |
19,200 |
Poland |
5,501,500 |
Slovakia (2001) |
655,800 |
Slovenia (2002) |
475,700 |
EU Member States |
Total Cattle |
Austria |
2,094,200 |
Belgium (p) |
2,892,900 |
Denmark |
1,821,000 |
Finland |
1,025,300 |
France |
20,460,300 |
Germany |
13,994,300 |
Greece (1998) |
577,000 |
Ireland (p) |
7,185,000 |
Italy |
7,245,500 |
Luxembourg |
195,000 |
Netherlands |
3,780,000 |
Portugal (1998) |
1,323,600 |
Spain (p) |
6,396,000 |
Sweden |
1,638,400 |
United Kingdom (p) |
10,429,300 |