Dairy-cow numbers hit all-time high

Compared to June 2014, this year’s dairy-cow numbers have increased by 6 percent to 311,500 head, which is a record according to the June 2015 census figures just released by DARD. However, the increase is due to decisions made by optimistic dairy farmers two years ago to increase the number of heifers, which are now calving down and joining main milking herds.

The total cattle numbers were 3 percent higher compared with June 2014 while the number of beef cows increased by 2 percent to 260,300 against a backdrop of continuing tight margins for suckled beef production.

The area of cereals was 4 percent lower in 2015 than in 2014. The pattern of cereal production changed significantly with the area sown to winter wheat down 6 percent and the area of spring barley down by 7 percent. Winter barley in contrast increased by 5 percent on the previous year to reach 7,000 hectares – the highest area grown since 1998.

The area of potatoes was down 14 percent on the previous year at 3,600 hectares. This is the lowest area on record for the crop. The area of arable silage fell by 18 percent, to 3,300 hectare, following a number of years when about 4,000 hectares were grown.

The area of forage maize was down 5 percent from 2014 at 1,500 hectares, less than half the area grown at the peak of the crop’s popularity in 2008 when 3,500 hectares were grown.

There was a 3 percent increase in the number of breeding ewes compared with 2014. Numbers have fluctuated in recent years, falling to a 20-year low of 875,900 in 2010 before rallying to 938,600 this year – the highest number since 2007. Lamb numbers increased by 4 percent, mainly as a result of higher ewe numbers and good grazing conditions during the breeding season in autumn 2014.

Sow and gilts in pig increased by 7 percent, compared with a year earlier, to 45,600. The overall pig herd was 10 percent bigger, largely as a result of growth in the number of fattening pigs. Imports of pigs for finishing had an influence on numbers; however a small number of large, highly productive businesses drive most of the change in the sector.

Continuing expansion in broiler and egg-production sectors was evident in the past year with the total number of birds 4 percent higher in June 2015 compared with a year earlier at 21.3 million.

And finally, the size of the agricultural labor force was little changed this June from the previous year at 48,000. However, the number of farmers increased by 3 percent to 30,100, reflecting increases in both the full-time and part-time farmer categories. The change was largely the result of an increase of in the number of farm businesses as of June this year compared to the same month in 2014.

Despite the current doom and gloom of the dairy industry in Northern Ireland, milking-cow numbers in the country have hit an all-time high.



Resource::http://www.agriview.com/news/dairy/dairy-cow-numbers-hit-all-time-high/article_efd2c3aa-338b-5842-b504-9ab44c9af092.html