With a fall of four per cent in the dairy herd and two per cent in the beef herd, the total number of cattle on Northern Ireland farms is at its lowest for some time, the Department of Agriculture's December 2009 Agricultural Survey has revealed.
The survey showed that dairy herds at 277,000 dairy cows indicated a 4% drop; the number of beef cows decreased by 2% to 252,000 compared with December 2008, there was a five per cent increase in the sheep breeding flock in the past year, and pig numbers remained similar.
While 2009 was a difficult year for fodder making, the census showed that hay yields increased by 14% during 2009, and the overall production rose by 5%. The production of silage also increased by 6% from 2008.
The area of cereal crops in the ground at December 1 is estimated at 19,600 hectares, a 58% increase compared with 2008.
Source: imparialreporter
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