Malta Meat Production down in 2005

MALTA - During the first quarter of 2005, the total meat production amounted to 3,561 tonnes, a drop of 1,277 tonnes (-26.4 per cent), when compared to the same period last year.

Data published by the National Statistics Office (NSO) show that whereas beef production increased by 25.8 per cent, pig meat and broiler meat production dropped by 4.2 per cent and 53.6 per cent respectively.

While the number of pig slaughtering dropped by 1,881 heads (-7.0 per cent) from 26,812 heads in March quarter 2004 to 24,931 heads in the same period this year, the number of broilers slaughtered dropped by 48.6 per cent, from 1.4 million heads to 0.7 million heads during the period in question.

The total producer value dropped by Lm0.6 million (-20.1 per cent), from Lm3.1 million in the first quarter of 2004 to Lm2.5 million this year. Subsidies received by the breeders are not included in the producer value.

During the period under review, the total producer value of bovine slaughtering increased by Lm87,513 (+26.8 per cent) from Lm326,515 in the first quarter of 2004 to Lm414,028 in March quarter this year.

On the other hand, the swine industry registered a decline of 4.2 per cent in the producer value, down from Lm1,464,932 in March quarter 2004 to Lm1,403,660 in the first quarter this year. There was a sharp drop of 48.9 per cent in the broiler industry, as this plummeted by Lm654,325, from Lm1,338,882 in March quarter 2004 to Lm684,557 in the first quarter of 2005.

Source: maltamedia.com

2 June 2005