The cattle stock in 2014 in Malta and Gozo went down by 2.2 per cent to 14,883 heads when compared to 2013.

The National Statistics Office has said today that according to the data from the Bovine Register, 4,881 heads of cattle were located in Gozo and Comino, this figure is down 2013, when it stood at 5,179 heads.

The Bovine Register also shows that cattle stocks in Malta and Gozo, on 1 December 2014 fell by 2.2 per cent, or 337 heads, compared to a year earlier. Bovines aged less than one year increased by 4.3 per cent.

In contrast, bovines aged between one and two years decreased by 15.9 per cent and those over two years by 13.6 per cent. Cows, representing 44.4 per cent of the total cattle stock, registered an increase of 2.8 per cent.

Last year, 281 holdings were engaged in cattle rearing, of which 120 were involved in the production of milk. These dairy farms accounted for 13,561 heads, or 91.1 per cent of the total stock.

The majority of cattle farms had between three and 29 heads on the holding (39.1 per cent), amounting to 1,086, or 7.3 per cent of the stock. In contrast, 56 cattle farms are classified as ‘large,’ each with at least 100 heads. Such farms comprised 10,091 heads, or 67.8 per cent of the total stock.

On a regional level, 10,002 heads of cattle were located in Malta and in the Island of Malta, the South Eastern District accounted for the largest number of heads.

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