PORKER
Well-known member
EU cattle herds
The European Commission recently released the results of its biannual European Union (EU) land holdings survey conducted during December 2003, with results showing that the average EU farm holding was just 33 head of cattle. This was the first land holding survey since the accession of the 10 new member states, which saw total farm numbers increase by 90% (2.63 million), while cattle numbers only increased by 12% (86.3 million head).
Within the EU, 81% of farms have holdings of less than 50 head, with 55% having fewer than 10 cattle – only 3% had holdings over 200 head. Of the 25 countries, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have the largest average herd size (96 head), followed closely by Denmark (89 head) and Belgium (83 head). Slovakia and Lithuania had smallest average herd size of just 2 and 3 head, respectively.
ALSO Austrailian steer inventory has dropped by 35% from this time in 2004Numbers in northern markets have been particularly low, and this has contributed to an overall decline in yardings of 21% on June and 55% on July 2004. Grown steer yardings in NSW and Queensland during July were 22% below June and 61% below July 2004 levels. Although southern markets have also seen a decline in numbers, it is not to the same extent as in the north. The number of grown steers in Victoria and South Australia for July were 6% below June and 22% below July 2004.
The European Commission recently released the results of its biannual European Union (EU) land holdings survey conducted during December 2003, with results showing that the average EU farm holding was just 33 head of cattle. This was the first land holding survey since the accession of the 10 new member states, which saw total farm numbers increase by 90% (2.63 million), while cattle numbers only increased by 12% (86.3 million head).
Within the EU, 81% of farms have holdings of less than 50 head, with 55% having fewer than 10 cattle – only 3% had holdings over 200 head. Of the 25 countries, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have the largest average herd size (96 head), followed closely by Denmark (89 head) and Belgium (83 head). Slovakia and Lithuania had smallest average herd size of just 2 and 3 head, respectively.
ALSO Austrailian steer inventory has dropped by 35% from this time in 2004Numbers in northern markets have been particularly low, and this has contributed to an overall decline in yardings of 21% on June and 55% on July 2004. Grown steer yardings in NSW and Queensland during July were 22% below June and 61% below July 2004 levels. Although southern markets have also seen a decline in numbers, it is not to the same extent as in the north. The number of grown steers in Victoria and South Australia for July were 6% below June and 22% below July 2004.
