Meat Supply Balance 2021 - Central Statistics Office (2024)

The supply of meat decreased by 3% to 1.423 million tonnes in 2021

Online ISSN: 2009-8723

CSO statistical publication, , 11am

Key Findings

  • The supply of Total Meat fell by 37,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.423 million tonnes in 2021. Beef & Veal accounted for 637,000 tonnes (45%) of this total.

  • Slaughterings fell by 27,000 tonnes (-2%). Pigs were the only category of slaughterings to increase (+15,000 tonnes or by +5%) in 2021.

  • The largest decline in slaughterings was in Beef & Veal, which decreased by 39,000 tonnes (-6%) to 595,000 tonnes.

  • Net exports (i.e., Exports less Imports) fell by 47,000 tonnes (-6%) to 707,000 tonnes. Beef & Veal accounted for 40,000 tonnes of this reduction.

  • Poultry Meat was the only category of meat with net imports, as imports exceeded exports by 19,000kg.

  • Ireland’s Self-Sufficiency in Total Meat fell by 19% to 267% in 2021 when compared with 2020.

  • While Self-Sufficiency increased for Pig Meat (+8% to 240%) and Sheep Meat (+3% to 361%), the rate fell by 51% to 661% for Beef & Veal and from 100% in 2020 for Poultry Meat to 90% in 2021.

Statistician's Comment

Commenting on the release, Mairead Griffin, Statistician in the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Agricultural Accounts and Production Section, said: "This release provides an insight into the source of meat in the Irish market and how this meat is used. With food security becoming increasingly topical, knowing how much meat is consumed by the Irish population and the degree to which Irish agriculture can meet this demand is important.

In 2021, the supply of meat in the Irish market fell by 37,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.4 million tonnes. Of the available supply, Beef & Veal accounted for 45%, followed by Pig Meat (30%), and Poultry Meat (21%). Sheep Meat accounted for just 5% of Total Meat Supply.

Net exports of Total Meat (i.e., Exports less Imports) fell by 47,000 tonnes (-6%) to 707,000 tonnes. The reduction in net exports of Beef & Veal accounted for 40,000 tonnes of this fall.

The Self-Sufficiency rate measures the extent to which the production of meat within the State can meet domestic demand. Any rate over 100% means that we produce more meat than we require to meet the needs of Irish consumers. Between 2020 and 2021, Ireland’s Self-Sufficiency Rate for Total Meat fell by 19% to 267%. With a Self-Sufficiency rate of 90% in 2021, Poultry Meat was the only meat where production did not meet domestic demand."

Tables and Graphs

Table 1.1 displays tonnage figures on Export and Domestic Uses for meat Supply from 2019-2021.

Figure 1 shows a percentage breakdown for 2021 of Domestic Uses of meat.

Table 1.1: Meat Supply Balance 2019–2021
SupplyExportsDomestic Uses
'000 tonnes (carcass weight equivalent)
20191,4531,009444
20201,4611,018442
20211,423961462

Open in Excel: Meat Supply Balance 2021 Table 1.1 (XLS 10KB)

X-axis label2021
Beef & Veal20.6
Pig Meat33.8
Sheep Meat3.4
Poultry Meat42.3

Table 1.2 presents all components of the Meat Supply Balance from 2019-2021.

Figure 2 shows the percentage share of the four meat categories in total Gross Indigenous Production (GIP) from 2019-2021.

Table 1.2 Meat Supply Balance 2019–2021

X-axis label201920202021
Beef & Veal53.552.950.9
Pig Meat28.128.630.3
Sheep Meat4.64.54.5
Poultry Meat13.81414.3

The supply of Total Meat in Ireland in 2021 is estimated at 1.423 million tonnes, a decrease of 37,000 tonnes (-3%) on 2020. Beef & Veal accounted for 45% of this supply while Pig Meat and Poultry Meat accounted for a further 30% and 21% respectively.

Slaughterings

The volume of Slaughterings decreased by 27,000 tonnes (-2%) to 1.169 million tonnes. Beef & Veal, Sheep, and Poultry Slaughterings all fell. Beef & Veal Slaughterings contracted by 39,000 tonnes (-6%) while Sheep Slaughterings decreased by 3,000 tonnes (-4%). Poultry Slaughterings declined by 1,000 tonnes. Some of these decreases were offset by an increase of 15,000 tonnes (+5%) in Pig Slaughterings.

Net Exports

Net exports (i.e., Exports minus Imports) of Total Meat decreased by 47,000 tonnes (-6%) to 707,000 tonnes. Beef & Veal accounted for 40,000 tonnes of this decline. Pig Meat was the only variety of meat that experienced an increase in net exports, which grew by 15,000 tonnes (+9%) while Poultry Meat was the only variety of meat where the volume of imports exceeded exports. The volume of net exports of Poultry Meat was minus 19,000 tonnes in 2021.

Self-Sufficiency in Meat and Gross Indigenous Production

Ireland’s rate of Self-Sufficiency in Total Meat was 267%, a decline of 19% on 2020. Self-Sufficiency in Pig Meat (+8% to 240%) and Sheep Meat (+3% to 361%) both increased while the Self-Sufficiency rate for Beef & Veal decreased by 51% to 661%. The Self-Sufficiency rate for Poultry Meat decreased by 10% to 90%.

Gross Indigenous Production (GIP) of Total Meat decreased by 32,000 tonnes (-3%) to 1.235 million tonnes in 2021.

Human Consumption of Meat

The per capita Human Consumption of Total Meat increased by 3kgs (+4%) to 92kg in 2021. This increase is attributable to a rise in the average Human Consumption of Poultry Meat, which increased by 4kg (+10%) to 39kg. In 2021, 42% of the Total Meat eaten by Irish consumers was Poultry Meat, followed by Pig Meat at 34% and Beef & Veal at 21%. The remaining 3% was Sheep Meat.

Go to Data

Meat Supply Balance 2021 - Central Statistics Office (2024)

FAQs

Meat Supply Balance 2021 - Central Statistics Office? ›

Key Findings

How much meat was produced in 2021? ›

Globally, approximatley 357.4 million tonnes of meat were produced in 2021.

Is meat consumption increasing or decreasing? ›

The amount of meat we produce each year is definitely going up, but that doesn't mean Americans are actually eating more and more of the stuff. Thanks to our growing population, our meat consumption has only increased by 17 percent per capita between 1970 and 2022.

How much beef did the US produce in 2021? ›

Total beef production in the United States from 2000 to 2024 (in billion pounds)
CharacteristicProduction in billion pounds
202127.95
202027.17
201927.16
201826.87
9 more rows
Mar 7, 2024

How much meat is produced each year in US? ›

Last year, the United States produced 105 billion pounds of meat. That's the equivalent of 320 pounds of poultry, pork, and beef for every US resident.

Has there been a decrease in meat production? ›

Beef's sharp decline means that red meat and poultry production this year will be an estimated 106.529 billion lbs, down 76 million lbs or 0.1% from 2023, according to ERS. It also means that disappearance (consumption) of red meat and poultry will be 224.1 lbs per person this year, versus 225.2 lbs in 2023.

Do we eat more meat now than before? ›

In the 1970s, the average American consumed 20% more meat than the prescribed dietary guidelines recommended. By 2022, this increased to 40% more than the guidelines advised. A 2020 study shows that the average person in the U.S. consumes 82 pounds of beef every year.

What is the number two consumed meat in the United States? ›

2. Beef. Red meat comes second in popularity, consumed mostly as steak or in the form of the all-American hamburger. The USDA states that Americans eat about 67 pounds of beef per year, which equals a total yearly production of 27.8 billion pounds at a value of $59.6 billion.

How much meat is produced worldwide from 2016 to 2023? ›

Global production of meat 2016-2023

Between 2016 and 2023, the production volume of meat worldwide has increased from 317 million metric tons to about 350.5 million metric tons.

How much meat in the US is factory farmed? ›

Nearly all animals farmed in the U.S. (99 percent) are raised on factory farms. The Environmental Protection Agency defines a factory farm (called a large concentrated animal feeding operation or CAFO) mainly by a minimum number of animals being kept there.

Who is the largest producer of meat in the world? ›

China is the world's largest producer of meat, producing over 253,024,735 tons in 2023. In 2023, China produced approximately 92.27 million tons of beef, up 3.8% from the previous year.

What is the market size of plant based meat 2021? ›

USD 5.23 Billion

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