Meat production in the last three months of 2009 decreased by 7.3 per cent to 3,639 tonnes, the National Statistics Office said.

It said that while pig and broiler-meat production declined by 12.8 and 1.5 per cent, respectively, there was an increase of five per cent in the production of beef meat.

Beef meat production rose as a result of a 14.3 per cent increase in the number of cattle slaughtered.

Although the average carcass weight of pigs went up by 3.4 per cent, a decrease of 12.8 per cent in the carcass weight on account of a 15.7 per cent drop in the number of pigs slaughtered was registered.

Broiler meat production declined on account of a 6.6 per cent drop in the number of broilers slaughtered, although the average carcass weight rose by 5.5 per cent over the corresponding period in 2008.

During the period under review, the producer value of animals slaughtered at licensed slaughterhouses amounted to €6.69 million, a decrease of €0.4 million when compared to the corresponding period in 2008.

The producer value of slaughtered cattle decreased by 0.6 per cent due to lower prices fetched on the market, from an average €2.63 per kilogramme in the fourth quarter of 2008 to €2.49 per kilogramme in the same period last year.

The producer value of pigs dropped by 12.8 per cent on account of a decrease in the number of pigs slaughtered. The producer value of broiler meat production advanced by 6.2 per cent.

This was due to an increase of 7.8 per cent in the average price per kilogramme fetched on the market, from €1.59 in 2008 to €1.71 in 2009.