ICSA Beef chair John Cleary has said that the latest CSO livestock figures released this week confirm a dramatic decline in the national cattle herd, with total numbers now back at 2013 levels. “The June 2025 cattle population stood at 6.90 million head - down 278,000 (-3.9%) on last year. That is a 12-year low and, significantly, it is even below the 6.97 million cattle we had in 1973 when Ireland first joined the EEC, now the EU. Despite a widespread perception that our national herd expanded exponentially over the decades, the reality is that productivity increased but overall cattle numbers have not.

It is also worth noting the fact that both the Irish population and the global population have grown dramatically in the meantime. Globally, the population has doubled from around 4 billion in 1973 to over 8 billion today. All of those people must be fed, yet we are presiding over a shrinking cattle herd in one of the best places in the world to produce sustainable beef.”

Continuing Mr Cleary said, “The most alarming aspect is the collapse in the breeding herd. Dairy cow numbers fell by 36,100 (-2.2%) while suckler cow numbers dropped by 46,800 (-5.7%). That means we are looking at a total decline of almost 83,000 breeding cows in a single year - a frightening figure which points to long-term structural decline, and the knock-on effects are already showing. Cattle under two years of age are down by 124,300 (-3.2%) due to fewer breeding animals and an increase in exports, while cattle over two years are down 71,000 (-8.7%), the equivalent of around three weeks’ kill.”

Mr Cleary said that farmers are also right to be angry at the way factories are behaving. “We are witnessing a scarcity-led market, yet meat processors here remain out of step. Global and EU markets have adjusted to reflect higher demand and tighter supplies, but the only ones refusing to keep pace are the Irish factories. This shows total disrespect for farmers who have invested heavily and supplied them loyally for years. At a time when numbers are falling this fast - 278,000 in a single year, the equivalent of 8–10 weeks’ kill - it is simply not credible for factories to keep pulling prices. Scarcity has to be reflected in stronger returns for farmers.”

Concluding, Mr Cleary said, “Farmers clearly need greater certainty, and it is time for Meat Industry Ireland and the processors to sit down with farmers and agree a plan that gives security in return for the high-risk investment farmers are making. With cattle numbers now collapsing to a 12-year low, processors must face the reality that prices will have to rise to secure supply and give farmers the confidence to stay in production.”