National Statistics: Latest cattle, sheep and pig slaughter statistics

This monthly publication gives UK statistics on the slaughter of cattle, sheep and pigs, dressed carcase weights and meat production. Additional information is provided each quarter on UK meat supplies (ie production adjusted for overseas trade).

With effect from February 2016 the statistics published in this notice are based on calendar rather than statistical months. This change simplifies our survey processes and brings our slaughter survey in line with our milk surveys which are already run on a calendar month basis, it also removes the need for the 53 week year (which would have to be 2016). Since the end of weekly slaughter survey several years ago, there is no legislative requirement for weekly data, so since then we have derived the average weekly throughput from the monthly survey data.

This notice replaces the notice published at 9.30am on the 11th October and contains large revisions to previously published sheep data.

January 2016 data includes the last week of December 2015 and is therefore classed as a 5 week month. 1st February 2016 onwards the statistics are based on calendar months.

Next update: see the statistics release calendar

If you require datasets in another format such as Excel, please contact julie.rumsey@defra.gsi.gov.uk.