Beef-sired sired calf registrations in Northern Ireland were up 11% for October, while dairy-sired calf registrations are also up.
In October 2014, some 18,922 head of beef-sired calves were registered – an 11% increase on the corresponding month in 2013. This increase in registrations is the sixth consecutive month in which beef sired calf registrations in Northern Ireland have been higher than year earlier levels, according to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).
It shows that beef -sired calf registrations during the first 10 months of 2014 have totalled 282,392, very similar to the 282,400 registered in the corresponding period in 2013. It is however notably lower than the corresponding period in 2012 when 302,633 beef sired calves were registered. This reduction by 20,241 between the 2012 and 2014 periods accounts for a 7% reduction.
While beef-sired calf registrations have shown an improvement over year earlier figures for the last six months there has been no change in the proportion of the major breeds in the registration mix.
Limousin continues to be the most popular beef breed in Northern Ireland and accounted for 31% of all beef-sired calf registrations during 2014 to date with Charolais-sired calves accounting for a further 27% of beef calf registrations.
Total dairy sired calf registrations during 2014 to date have also shown an increase on year earlier levels. During October 2014 22,494 dairy-sired calves
were registered on Northern Ireland farms compared to 21,737 calves in October 2013. This accounts for a 3.5% increase year on year, the LMC states.
Like the beef registrations, the dairy-sired registrations have shown an increase on year earlier levels for the sixth consecutive month. Dairy-sired calf registrations for 2014 to date have totalled 151,635 head, 1,160 head higher than the corresponding period in 2013.
