During the second quarter this year, figures from the National Statistics Office show that meat production went up by 0.8 per cent to 3,304 tonnes, despite a drop of 28.2 per cent in beef production. The decline in beef production was due to a 33.4 per cent drop in the number of cattle slaughtered. Although the number of slaughtered broilers declined by 5.5 per cent, broilermeat production advanced by 7.5 per cent. Pigmeat production went up by 2.3 per cent on account of increases of 0.9 per cent and 1.4 per cent in the number of slaughtered heads and the average carcass weight.

The producer value of animals slaughtered at licensed slaughterhouses in the period under review amounted to €6.3 million, up by €0.2 million (3.5 per cent) when compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Reflecting a decrease in the number of slaughtered cattle, the producer value of beef dropped by 9.7 per cent. The average price per kilogram fetched on the market advanced by 25.8 per cent, from €2.43 per kilogram in 2010 to €3.06 in the second quarter this year. The producer value of pigmeat rose by 2.3 per cent due to an increase in the number of slaughtered pigs. The average price per kilogram remained at par with the comparative period in 2010. An 11.2 per cent increase in the producer value of broilermeat resulted from a rise of 3.4 per cent in the average price per kilogram, from €1.78 in the second quarter of 2010 to €1.84 in the corresponding quarter this year. The decline in the number of slaughtered broilers was mitigated by the increase in the average carcass weight.

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