Calf births fall in first six months of this year

Amid a general trend of falling numbers across all breeds, Jerseys dropped by almost a fifth between January and the end of June compared to the previous year, according to the Livestock and Meat Commission.

A total of 686 head of Jersey calves were registered for the first half of this year compared to 842 head in the corresponding period in 2023.

The total Jersey calf registrations for the first six months of this year are also 13 per cent behind levels for the same period in 2022.

Wagyu, which has been developing a strong foothold in the Province, recorded a sizeable fall in calf registrations, though is still seen as growing in popularity given its rapid rise in recent years.

Agricultural market analyst Claire McAnearney said: “The breed to report the largest year-on-year decline of 20 per cent was that of Wagyu, which consisted of 1,595 Wagyu calves registered over the first six months of 2024 compared to 1,994 head registered for the corresponding period of 2023.”

In the same period in 2020 there were just 132 head of Wagyu in the Province, with numbers showing a rapid upward trend every year since – registrations doubled in the corresponding period from 2022 (917 head) to 2023 (1,994) – with the decline between January and June this year seen as only a blip in the breed’s progress.

Overall, calf registrations continue to decline across Northern Ireland this year, the LMC reports.

Data provided by the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (NIFAIS) concludes that a total of 286,037 head of calves were registered over the first half of 2024, this is 16,558 head or 5.5 per cent behind levels reported during the corresponding period of 2023.

Within this overall decline of calf registrations, beef sired calves reported a decline of 6.5 per cent or 15,622 head.

Dairy calves, however, fairly considerably better, being back only 1.5 per cent or 936 head.

Aberdeen Angus remains the most popular beef sire with a six-month total registration of 62,110 calves, accounting for 28 per cent of all beef registrations for the first half of this year.

Ms McAnearney said the breed retained its position despite a fall in overall numbers of calves born.

“Despite Aberdeen Angus calf registrations being almost two per cent behind levels for the corresponding period of 2023, this breed remains a clear top choice,” she said.

Limousin and Charolais are the next most popular breeds in Northern Ireland at 22 per cent and 21 per cent respectively of the percentage proportion of beef sired calf registrations for the first six months of this year.

Belgian Blue cattle make up eight per cent of the total births, followed by Herefords at seven per cent, Simmental with five per cent, and all other breeds totalling just nine per cent.

The Northern Ireland figures are in keeping with a general trend seen in Great Britain in the first quarter of the year and the Republic over the past six months.

The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation reported in July that the total number of suckler calf births in the fist six months of the year had fallen by 38,240 calves – an average of 1,365 head a week.

A total of 550,327 beef-breed calves had been registered compared to 588,567 in the same time period of 2023 – a drop of 38,240 calves or 6.5 per cent

As in Northern Ireland, the Republic saw a much more modest fall in the dairy sector, with a total of 1,487,722 calves registered – a fall of just 1,600 head on the same period last year.

Figures for the first three months in GB saw calf registrations fall 2.3 per cent relative to the same period the previous year.

Registrations of the main continental breeds were all down, as was the number of Simmental and Charolais crosses (8.1 per cent and 4.7 per cent respectively).