The Irish cattle population structured by enterprise type: overview, trade & trends

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Economics
• Animal Science
• Irish Agri-food Sector Analysis

Background:

• The Irish cattle sector is economically vital but lacks detailed structural data.
• Previous research has not quantitatively detailed cattle production types or their interconnections.
• This study addresses the need for a structured overview of the Irish cattle population by enterprise type.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of the Irish cattle population structured by enterprise type.
• To classify herds into distinct types for detailed analysis.
• To establish a baseline for future research on cattle production systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cattle register data from 2015 to 2019.
• Applied a novel herd type classification approach to categorize registered herds.
• Assigned herds into 18 distinct enterprise types for analysis.

Main Results:

• First-time quantitative overview of Irish cattle population by enterprise type.
• Detailed classification of herds into 18 specific types.
• Analysis of changes in enterprise types and subtypes over time.
• Description of herd movements between subtypes and towards slaughter.

Conclusions:

• The developed classification system enables exploration of cattle enterprise dynamics.
• Provides a foundation for future studies on profitability, animal health, and environmental impact (Greenhouse Gas emissions).
• Facilitates comparative analyses across different cattle production systems in Ireland.