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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 1

Written Answers. - Beef Industry.

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]

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

*1 annual work unit = 1,800 hours or more of labour input per person per annum.

Jack Wall

Question:

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.

Jack Wall

Question:

170 Mr. Wall asked the Taoiseach the beef herd count at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1617/03]

Jack Wall

Question:

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

*Figures rounded to nearest one hundred.
Table 2 shows total cattle figures from EU accession countries and from EU member states for 2002:
Table 2. Numbers of cattle in EU member states and accession countries in 2002

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

*Unavailable
(p) Provisional Data
The table contains 2002 data where available. Where 2002 data are not available, data for the most recent year available indicated in brackets have been given.
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