Agricultural Output Prices Increase 14.5% Over The Year

The agricultural price index (API) for all outputs increased by 3.2% in March and by 14.5% on last year. The price index for all inputs fell by 0.1% in March but is up 9.7% on last year.

Crop outputs prices increased 2.8% on March and 27% on last year. Potato output prices continue to rise by another 14% in March and are more than twice the price of last year with an increase of 125%. Price rises were offset by a fall in cereals prices of 3.4% in March but over the year they are still 25% higher than last year. Animal and animal products prices increased by 4% in March and are 5.6% up on last year. Animal slaughter prices increased by 7.4% largely due to a 20% rise in sheep prices. They are however still 12% below last year's prices.

Prices for agricultural inputs have not changed much in March. The overall index changed only by a 0.1% fall. Over the year prices generally are up by 12%. The increase is due mainly to a 46% rise in the price of seeds and feed price increases of 16% both sets of prices being affected by the poor cereal harvest of 2012.

UK Livestock Slaughter Statistics For May

The key points in Defra's latest information on slaughterings of cattle, sheep and pigs for May 2011 are that at 170,000 there was a 4% increase in the number of UK prime cattle slaughterings over May 2010. Beef and veal were 7% up on May 2010 with 74,000 tonnes. Sheep slaughterings were also 4% up on last year at 727,000 head. Mutton and lamb were 4% up with 17,000 tonnes. Pigs increased 3% to 718,000 tonnes compared to May 2010. Pigmeat production was 59,000 tonnes, an increase of 3% on May last year.

Cattle, Sheep And Pigs Up On Last Year

Prime cattle slaughter numbers were up 15% on January last year to 209,000 head in January 2011. Beef and veal production were up 20%. Sheep numbers were up 5% with mutton and lamb up 10% on last year. Clean pigs slaughter numbers were up7% on January 2010 at 906,000 head. Pigmeat production was 75,000 tonnes, up 8% on last year.

Increase In Incidence Of TB In Cattle

There was an increase in the TB incidence rate for August 2010 compared with August 2009 but a high number of unclassified incidents may affect the interpretation of these provisional figures. A total of 390,812 tests were carried out on 4,613 herds resulting in the slaughter of 2,183 cattle. There were 2,107 reactors and 76 contacts, 283 of which were new herd incidents.

Incidents Of TB Down In April

Provisional statistics from Defra's latest TB in Cattle release suggest an 8.2% decrease in the number of new TB incidents in April 2010 compared with the same period in 2009. The increase in the number of herds tested means a provisional overall decrease of 14% in the TB incidence rate. The average confirmed incidence rate for April 2010 was 3.7% and it was 4.1% for the same period last year.

The total number of herds tested in April was 7,927. A total of 3,947 herds are under movement restrictions. There were 6,441 tests on unrestricted herds of which 422 were new herd incidents. In terms of animals this equates to 724,646 total cattle tests. Cattle compulsorily slaughtered as a result of tests numbered 2,812 reactors (cattle that reacted to the tuberculin test) and 81 contacts (direct contact exposed to TB) giving a total of 2,893 animals.

Note Of Caution On Fall In TB Incidence

The provisional estimates of new TB incidence in cattle for March 2010 are 10% lower than they were in March 2009 according to Defra. The increase in the number of herds tested over the same period means that there was a provisional overall decrease in the TB incidence rate. There was also a fall in the provisional average confirmed incidence rate from 4% to 3.8% for the same period.

There were a total of 9,497 tests on herds. There were 3,909 restricted herds and tests on 8,083 unrestricted herds 515 of which were new herd indicents. The number of cattle tested for TB totalled 859,117 of which 3,027 reactors and 78 contacts had to be slaughtered totalling 3,105 cattle.

Defra Slaughter Statistics

The numbers of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered in the UK were released by Defra today. Cattle slaughterings are up 2% to 163,000 head, sheep 15% lower at 773,000 and pigs were 4% higher at 704,000 in February 2010 than they were in February 2009.

The monthly volumes of meat produced UK show that 71,000 tonnes of beef, 18,000 tonnes of mutton and lamb and 58,000 tonnes of pigmeat were produced in the UK in February. These statistics refer to meat produced for human consumption in the UK but includes livestock imported into the UK for slaughter.

In addition to all the 'clean' meat slaughterings, 43,000 tonnes of meat was produced from cows and adult bulls, 4,000 tonnes from calves, 136,000 tonnes of ewe and ram meat and 18,000 tonnes of boar and sow meat was produced.