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11. Slaughter Numbers
Weekly numbers of livestock slaughtered in Scotland were obtained from QMS with the main focus on prime animals. In Scotland 488,268 clean cattle were slaughtered during 2007 which represented a 6.6% fall over the 2005 slaughter numbers and a 4.4% fall over the 2006 slaughter numbers. Notably, weekly cull totals (see Figure 19) in 2007 lag previous years as expected due to the retraction in the number of cattle in Scotland. In addition, the 2007 FMD movement restrictions lead to a one week reduction in the number of cattle slaughtered by about 30%, or 3,000.
Figure 19 Weekly clean cattle slaughtered in Scotland 2005 - 2007
Source: QMS, 2008
During 2007 in Scotland 1,409,260 clean sheep were slaughtered, representing a 10.3% increase from 2005 and a 2.7% fall from 2006 slaughter figures. The weekly slaughter figures were consistently above the 2005 levels until the impact of the FMD restrictions were felt and slaughter numbers took at least 12 weeks to recover to the pre- FMD restrictions level (with subsequent over supply). During this period there was considerable disruption to Scottish abattoirs (the first confirmed FMD outbreak saw weekly slaughterings fall by nearly 14,000), which had all but recovered before the second confirmed case of FMD was announced and further restrictions imposed on the industry..
Figure 20 Weekly clean sheep slaughtered in Scotland 2005 - 2007
Source QMS, 2008
Reflecting the recent relative upturn in the pig industry during 2007 there was an 8.8% increase in the number of clean pigs slaughtered compared to 2006 (and 6.6% increase over 2005 slaughterings). In total 735,718 clean pigs were slaughtered and there are very few seasonality issues (normally around 14,000 per month) as shown in Figure 21. There was little impact on slaughter numbers from the 2007 FMD restrictions, although there was a reduction of over 4,000 animals due to the initial outbreak.
Figure 21 Weekly clean pigs slaughtered in Scotland 2005 - 2007
Source QMS, 2008
Figure 22 and Figure 23 highlight the low levels of mature cows and sheep that are slaughtered in Scotland. In the case of sheep the majority of mature animals are slaughtered in England and Wales, representing a major logistical challenge during any periods of movement restriction. The reasons for these animals not being slaughtered in Scotland include the fact that very few processors are taking cull cows (some are even being live exported to Ireland for slaughter and process prior to importation back in - as mince). Moreover there is a large ethnic market for mature sheep in England which means that the majority are transported to slaughter units south of the border.
Figure 22 Weekly mature cows and bulls slaughtered in Scotland 2006 - 2007
Source QMS, 2008
Figure 23 Weekly ewes and rams slaughtered in Scotland 2005 - 2007
Source QMS, 2008
11.1 Livestock Output Trends
On initial examination, the output of Scottish livestock products appears not to have decreased at the same rate as livestock numbers, suggesting that there have been widespread improvements in productivity. However, more detailed examination of the trends highlights that the only certain productivity gain has been in terms of milk yield.
Figure 24 Annual Changes in Scottish Breeding Livestock and Livestock Outputs
Source: Scottish Agriculture Output, Input and Income Statistics (various) and June Agricultural Statistics (various)
On initial examination, the output of Scottish livestock products appears not to have decreased at the same rate as livestock numbers, suggesting that there have been widespread improvements in productivity. However, more detailed examination of the trends highlights that the only certain productivity gain has been in terms of milk yield.
Figure 24 shows the changes in Scottish livestock products and numbers of breeding livestock since 1997. Every time there is a change in the breeding herd (for sheep, pigs and beef cows) there is a corresponding change in output (although this often lags by a year). The effect of FMD in 2001 appears to have impacted on output in both 2001 and 2002 as cattle and pigs were held back until 2002 because of restrictions. Moreover, the significant loss of sheep numbers in 2001 meant that output in 2002 was significantly affected as there were less lambs physically able to be presented for slaughter. Cattle output appears to diverge from breeding cow numbers in 2005 and 2006, but this increase in output was the result of older cattle being allowed back into the food chain and not as a result of productivity gains per se. Output of dairy cows has improved as farmers fully utilise quotas by reducing excess capacity that was often in existence pre the 2001 FMD outbreak. After the dairy herd shrunk because of the FMD crisis, the productivity of the remaining dairy herd increased as farmers sought to fill the void in the market supply from within their existing herds. This was achieved partly through increasing cattle feed rations to produce yield increases and also through reducing excess capacity within herds.
Figure 25 shows the cumulative change in productivity per breeding animal in Scotland and it is clear that milk yield has improved by about 20% over the last decade (although there is an unexplained downturn in 2007). This figure also suggests that pig meat productivity gains have occurred, but this does not recognise the fact that as the breeding herd has been reduced there are additional animals slaughtered on an annual basis (e.g. the large increase in meat production per breeding pig in 1999 was due to the slaughter of gilts that would have been used for breeding if it were not for the pig crisis). However, there does appear to have some gains in pig productivity since 2003, with the increased demand for heavier pigs having an impact. Whilst it appears that sheep productivity per ewe has also increased, this is likely to be entirely due to the reduction in the breeding herd, meaning more cast ewes and ewe hoggs entering the food chain as farmers downsize. Beef productivity per cow remained relatively stable until the re-entry of older cattle into the food chain in 2005, causing the apparent rapid increase in beef productivity per cow that is observed in Figure 25.
Figure 25 Cumulative change in Scottish output per breeding female
Source: Scottish Agriculture Output, Input and Income Statistics (various) and June Agricultural Statistics (various)
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