Number of poultry and cattle is increasing, the number of other farm animals is decreasing
Provisional data of the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in the end of 2020, the number of cattle increased by 0.9 %, while the number of dairy cows decreased by 1.7 %. Last year the total number of cattle was 399.0 thousand, of which 136.0 thousand were dairy cows. During the year, the number of poultry has increased by 2.6 %, reaching 5.8 million. The number of sheep, pigs and goats decreased by 7.9 %, 2.3 %, 1.8 %, respectively.
Number of livestock at the end of the year
(thousands)
2019 | 2020* | Changes, % (2020/2019) | |
Cattle | 395.3 | 399.0 | 0.9 |
dairy cows | 138.4 | 136.0 | -1.7 |
non-dairy cows | 56.4 | 60.0 | 6.4 |
Pigs | 314.2 | 306.8 | -2.3 |
Sheep | 99.8 | 91.9 | -7.9 |
Goats | 11.7 | 11.5 | -1.8 |
Horses | 8.3 | 8,3 | -0.1 |
Poultry | 5,690.4 | 5,837.9 | 2.6 |
laying hens | 3,208.4 | 3,345.1 | 4.3 |
*Provisional data
Data source of the information on number of cattle, sheep, goats, horses and poultry is Livestock Register of Agricultural Data Centre.
Output of poultry increased, of pork, beef and veal – decreased
Meat production in Latvia has decreased – 91.9 thousand tonnes of meat were produced in 2020, which is 2.1 thousand tonnes or 2.3 % less than in 2019. The increase was observed in the output of poultry - by 4.1 %; in turn, output of pork, as well as beef and veal dropped by 8.4 % and 1.0 % respectively.
Output of livestock products
| 2019 | 2020* | Changes, % (2020/2019) |
Meat (slaughter weight), thousand tonnes | 94.0 | 91.9 | -2.3 |
beef and veal | 16.2 | 16.0 | -1.0 |
pork | 40.7 | 37.3 | -8.4 |
mutton and goat | 1.0 | 1.0 | -0.2 |
poultry | 36.0 | 37.5 | 4.1 |
other meat | 0.1 | 0.1 | -12.5 |
Milk (including goat milk), thousand tonnes | 981.4 | 990.1 | 0.9 |
Eggs, million pieces | 795.4 | 801.8 | 0.8 |
*Provisional data
Significant drop in imports of cattle, rise – in imports of pigs
In 2020, compare to 2019, number of exported live cattle decreased by 1.4 % thousand or 2.3 %. Young stock aged under 1 year constituted 22.9 % of the total number of cattle exported (in 2019 – 26.0 %). Number of imported cattle increased by 0.2 thousand or 10.2 %.
Compare to 2019 exports of live pigs increased by 71.9 thousand or 45.8 %. Of the total number of exported pigs, 68.2 % were piglets for further fattening (in 2019 – 59,2 %). Number of imported pigs increased by 39.0 thousand or 91.4 %.
More detailed information on the import and export of animals can be found on the Official Statistics Portal in the section “Foreign trade in goods”.
Average milk yield per dairy cow rose by 3.9 %
In 2020, a total of 990.1 thousand tonnes of milk (including goat milk) were produced, which is 8.8 thousand tonnes or 0.9 % more than in 2019. Average milk yield per dairy cow rose by 272 kg or 3.9 % reaching 7 163 kg annually.
The largest rise in milk output was recorded in Vidzeme region - by 10.7 thousand tonnes or 4.3 % - while the largest milk output decline was registered in Pierīga region - by 4.1 thousand tonnes or 2.4 %.
In 2020, compared to 2019, the volume of purchased milk increased by 0.7 %. The average purchase price of milk decreased by 4.3 % - from EUR 294 per tonne in 2019 to EUR 281 per tonne - in 2020.
Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csb.gov.lv
Phone.: +371 27880666
More information on data:
Lolita Lazda-Lazdiņa
Agricultural Statistics Section
E-mail: Lolita.Lazda@csb.gov.lv
Tel.: +371 67366982
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