The supply of meat decreased by 3% to 1.423 million tonnes in 2021
Online ISSN: 2009-8723
CSO statistical publication, , 11am
Key Findings
The supply of Total Meat fell by 37,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.423 million tonnes in 2021. Beef & Veal accounted for 637,000 tonnes (45%) of this total.
Slaughterings fell by 27,000 tonnes (-2%). Pigs were the only category of slaughterings to increase (+15,000 tonnes or by +5%) in 2021.
The largest decline in slaughterings was in Beef & Veal, which decreased by 39,000 tonnes (-6%) to 595,000 tonnes.
Net exports (i.e., Exports less Imports) fell by 47,000 tonnes (-6%) to 707,000 tonnes. Beef & Veal accounted for 40,000 tonnes of this reduction.
Poultry Meat was the only category of meat with net imports, as imports exceeded exports by 19,000kg.
Ireland’s Self-Sufficiency in Total Meat fell by 19% to 267% in 2021 when compared with 2020.
While Self-Sufficiency increased for Pig Meat (+8% to 240%) and Sheep Meat (+3% to 361%), the rate fell by 51% to 661% for Beef & Veal and from 100% in 2020 for Poultry Meat to 90% in 2021.
Statistician's Comment
Commenting on the release, Mairead Griffin, Statistician in the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Agricultural Accounts and Production Section, said: "This release provides an insight into the source of meat in the Irish market and how this meat is used. With food security becoming increasingly topical, knowing how much meat is consumed by the Irish population and the degree to which Irish agriculture can meet this demand is important.
In 2021, the supply of meat in the Irish market fell by 37,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.4 million tonnes. Of the available supply, Beef & Veal accounted for 45%, followed by Pig Meat (30%), and Poultry Meat (21%). Sheep Meat accounted for just 5% of Total Meat Supply.
Net exports of Total Meat (i.e., Exports less Imports) fell by 47,000 tonnes (-6%) to 707,000 tonnes. The reduction in net exports of Beef & Veal accounted for 40,000 tonnes of this fall.
The Self-Sufficiency rate measures the extent to which the production of meat within the State can meet domestic demand. Any rate over 100% means that we produce more meat than we require to meet the needs of Irish consumers. Between 2020 and 2021, Ireland’s Self-Sufficiency Rate for Total Meat fell by 19% to 267%. With a Self-Sufficiency rate of 90% in 2021, Poultry Meat was the only meat where production did not meet domestic demand."
Tables and Graphs
Table 1.1 displays tonnage figures on Export and Domestic Uses for meat Supply from 2019-2021.
Figure 1 shows a percentage breakdown for 2021 of Domestic Uses of meat.
| Table 1.1: Meat Supply Balance 2019–2021 | |||
| Supply | Exports | Domestic Uses | |
| '000 tonnes (carcass weight equivalent) | |||
| 2019 | 1,453 | 1,009 | 444 |
| 2020 | 1,461 | 1,018 | 442 |
| 2021 | 1,423 | 961 | 462 |
Open in Excel: Meat Supply Balance 2021 Table 1.1 (XLS 10KB)
| X-axis label | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Beef & Veal | 20.6 |
| Pig Meat | 33.8 |
| Sheep Meat | 3.4 |
| Poultry Meat | 42.3 |
Table 1.2 presents all components of the Meat Supply Balance from 2019-2021.
Figure 2 shows the percentage share of the four meat categories in total Gross Indigenous Production (GIP) from 2019-2021.
Table 1.2 Meat Supply Balance 2019–2021
| X-axis label | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef & Veal | 53.5 | 52.9 | 50.9 |
| Pig Meat | 28.1 | 28.6 | 30.3 |
| Sheep Meat | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Poultry Meat | 13.8 | 14 | 14.3 |
The supply of Total Meat in Ireland in 2021 is estimated at 1.423 million tonnes, a decrease of 37,000 tonnes (-3%) on 2020. Beef & Veal accounted for 45% of this supply while Pig Meat and Poultry Meat accounted for a further 30% and 21% respectively.
Slaughterings
The volume of Slaughterings decreased by 27,000 tonnes (-2%) to 1.169 million tonnes. Beef & Veal, Sheep, and Poultry Slaughterings all fell. Beef & Veal Slaughterings contracted by 39,000 tonnes (-6%) while Sheep Slaughterings decreased by 3,000 tonnes (-4%). Poultry Slaughterings declined by 1,000 tonnes. Some of these decreases were offset by an increase of 15,000 tonnes (+5%) in Pig Slaughterings.
Net Exports
Net exports (i.e., Exports minus Imports) of Total Meat decreased by 47,000 tonnes (-6%) to 707,000 tonnes. Beef & Veal accounted for 40,000 tonnes of this decline. Pig Meat was the only variety of meat that experienced an increase in net exports, which grew by 15,000 tonnes (+9%) while Poultry Meat was the only variety of meat where the volume of imports exceeded exports. The volume of net exports of Poultry Meat was minus 19,000 tonnes in 2021.
Self-Sufficiency in Meat and Gross Indigenous Production
Ireland’s rate of Self-Sufficiency in Total Meat was 267%, a decline of 19% on 2020. Self-Sufficiency in Pig Meat (+8% to 240%) and Sheep Meat (+3% to 361%) both increased while the Self-Sufficiency rate for Beef & Veal decreased by 51% to 661%. The Self-Sufficiency rate for Poultry Meat decreased by 10% to 90%.
Gross Indigenous Production (GIP) of Total Meat decreased by 32,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.235 million tonnes in 2021.
Human Consumption of Meat
The per capita Human Consumption of Total Meat increased by 3kgs (+4%) to 92kg in 2021. This increase is attributable to a rise in the average Human Consumption of Poultry Meat, which increased by 4kg (+10%) to 39kg. In 2021, 42% of the Total Meat eaten by Irish consumers was Poultry Meat, followed by Pig Meat at 34% and Beef & Veal at 21%. The remaining 3% was Sheep Meat.
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