RLAL2501
Pork production rose by 3.5 % last year
Central Statistical Bureau provisional data show that in 2024 meat production in Latvia reduced – 90.6 thousand tonnes of meat were produced, which is 0.4 thousand tonnes (0.4 %) fewer than in 2023. Increased output was recorded in the production of pork (up by 3.5 %) while reduced in the production of beef and veal (down by 6.3 %), poultry (0.3 %), as well as sheep and goat meat (4.8 %).
Output of animal products
2023 | 20241 | Change, % | |
Meat (slaughter weight), thousand tonnes | 91.0 | 90.6 | −0.4 |
beef and veal | 18.0 | 16.8 | −6.3 |
pork | 33.3 | 34.5 | 3.5 |
sheep and goat meat | 0.9 | 0.8 | −4.8 |
poultry | 38.6 | 38.5 | −0.3 |
other meat | 0.2 | 0.0 | −78.4 |
Raw milk (incl. goat milk), thousand tonnes | 963.7 | 961.0 | −0.3 |
Eggs, million pieces | 849.6 | 859.1 | 1.1 |
Honey (tonnes) | 2319 | 2193 | −5.4 |
Poultry and pork took the largest share of the produced meat (42.4 % and 38.0 %, respectively). The share of beef and veal fell from 19.7 % in 2023 to 18.6 % in 2024.
Increase in exports of bovine animals and swine
In 2024, compared to 2023, the number of exported live bovine animals increased by 1.8 thousand (2.2 %). The number of imported live bovine animals rose by 1.0 thousand (69.8 %).
Exports of live swine reduced by 21.0 thousand heads (7.3 %). Piglets for further fattening made up 81.8 % of all exported pigs (76.6 % in 2022). The number of imported live swine went up by 79.7 thousand (82.2 %).
The number of exported live sheep decrease by 22.0 %.
Additional information about import and export of live animals and animal products is available in the official statistics portal section Foreign trade in goods.
Number of dairy cows drops
The number of dairy cows dropped from 119.0 thousand at the end of 2023 to 113.0 thousand at the end of 2024, that is by 5.0 %.
In 2024, a total of 961.0 thousand tonnes of raw milk (including goat's milk) was produced, which is 2.7 thousand tonnes (0.3 %) fewer than in 2023. Milk procurement and processing companies purchased 86.9 % (833.8 thousand tonnes) of all raw milk produced (86.1 % (828.7 thousand) in 2023).
One dairy cow on average produced 491 kilogrammes (6.3 %) more milk than in 2023, and milk yield per dairy cow reached 8 239 kilogrammes in 2024.
Refer to the OSP database: LAL010; LAL050; LAL070
Pig numbers rose by 3.5 % at the end of the year
At the end of 2024, compared to the end of 2023, livestock population of Latvia grew by 10.1 thousand pigs (3.5 %) and 62.9 thousand poultry heads (1.1 %). However, the number of cattle reduced by 16.0 thousand (4.3 %), the number of sheep by 8.7 thousand (11.1 %), and the number of goats by 1.3 thousand (12.4 %).
Livestock population
(thousand, at the end of the year)
20232 | 20241, 2 | Change, % | |
Cattle | 368.1 | 352.1 | −4.3 |
dairy cows | 119.0 | 113.0 | −5.0 |
other cows | 61.9 | 61.6 | −0.6 |
Pigs | 290.0 | 300.1 | 3.5 |
Sheep | 78.3 | 69.6 | −11.1 |
Goats | 10.3 | 9.1 | −12.4 |
Poultry | 5922.3 | 5985.2 | 1.1 |
laying hens | 3385.0 | 3560.7 | 5.2 |
Bee colonies | 98.7 | 96.6 | −2.1 |
Egg production up by 1.1 %
At the end of 2024, the number of laying hens increased by 175.7 thousand (5.2 %) and egg production went up by 9.4 million (1.1 %). Hens' eggs made up 97.1 % of all eggs produced (97.4 % in 2023). One laying hen on average produced 301 eggs, which is 1.3 % more than in 2023.
Beekeeping dynamics
Compared to 2023, the number of bee colonies reduced by 2.1 thousand (2.1 %) and honey production decreased by 126 tonnes (5.4 %). The average sale price of honey also declined – by 3.7 %.
Methodological information
1 Provisional data.
2 Data source for cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, poultry and bee colonies data: Livestock Register of the Agricultural Data Centre.
Media requests:
Public Relations Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666
More information on data:
Lolita Lazda-Lazdiņa
Environment Statistics Methodology Section
E-mail: Lolita.Lazda@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366982
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