Meat production dropped by 3.7 per cent and producer value by four per cent in the first quarter this year, when compared to the same period in 2009.

The National Statistics Office said that meat production decreased to 3,205 tonnes. An increase of 17.8 per cent in the production of beef was mitigated by declines of 4.8 and 8.9 per cent in pigmeat and broilermeat, respectively.

The increase in beef production resulted from a 30.2 per cent rise in the number of slaughtered cattle.

In contrast, the number of slaughtered pigs fell by 2,493 heads, resulting in less production of pigmeat, in spite of a 7.1 per cent increase in carcass weight.

Broilermeat production declined by 8.9 per cent as a result of an 8.6 per cent decrease in the number of slaughtered broilers. A marginal drop in the average broiler carcass weight was also recorded.

The producer value of animals slaughtered at licensed slaughterhouses in the quarter under review amounted to €5.91 million, €0.25 million less than in the same period last year.

The producer value of beef rose by 1.3 per cent, on account of the increase in slaughtered cattle. The average price per kilogramme fetched on the market went down by 14 per cent, from €2.68 per kilogramme in 2009 to €2.31 in 2010.

On the other hand, the producer value of pigmeat went down by 4.8 per cent due to the lower number of slaughtered pigs, while the average price per kilogramme remained at par with the comparative period in 2009.

The 5.5 per cent drop in the producer value of broilermeat resulted from the decline in slaughtered broilers although the average price per kilogramme went up, from €1.69 in the first quarter of 2009 to €1.75 in the period under review.