Milk production increased year-on-year
According to the preliminary data of Statistics Estonia, the production of milk amounted to 807,500 tonnes in 2018, which is 2% more than the year before. The number of dairy cows decreased by the end of the year, but the average milk yield per cow increased.
On 31 December 2018, the number of cattle in Estonia was 255,100, of which 85,200 were dairy cows. Compared to the same time in 2017, the number of cattle increased by 1.5%, while the number of dairy cows decreased by 1.4%. Although the number of dairy cows declined, the average milk yield per cow continues to grow. In 2018, the average milk yield per cow was 9,326 kilograms, i.e. 167 kilograms more than in 2017.
At the end of 2018, there were 290,500 pigs and 78,300 sheep and goats in Estonia.
The number of pigs increased by 2%, and the number of sheep and goats decreased by 10% year-on-year. At the end of the year, there were 2.1 million poultry, which is 3% less than at the end of 2017.
In 2018, the production of eggs amounted to 206.6 million, which is 2% more than the year before.
112,900 tonnes (live weight) of livestock and poultry were sold for slaughter (incl. export) and slaughtered in holdings. The production of meat (live weight) increased by 6% year-on-year. The production of mutton and goat meat increased by 26%, the production of beef by 12% and the production of pork by 7%. Poultry meat production remained at the same level as in year 2017.
The statistics are based on the data of the register of farm animals of the Agricultural Registers and Information Board (ARIB) and on the data of Estonian Livestock Performance Recording Ltd, which by using models have been converted to the format necessary for producing statistics. In addition, the data of statistical questionnaires “Poultry. Quarter” and “Pigs. Quarter” have been used, the deadline of which was 8 January 2018. Statistics Estonia published the preliminary yearly summary of livestock farming in 12 working days. For the statistical activity “Livestock farming and meat production”, the main representative of public interest is the Ministry of Rural Affairs, commissioned by whom Statistics Estonia collects and analyses the data necessary for conducting this statistical activity.