Livestock

The total number of cattle ages two years at least decreased slightly to 923 000 (-0.8%). In this category the stock of male cattle rose by 5.9% while the stock of milk cows decreased by 0.9%.

Within the last six months the number of holdings rearing cattle dropped by 1.4% to 69 600 units on the reference day.

About the methodology

The bovine livestock was determined through an evaluation of the Central Cattle Database. Austria is authorised to adopt this procedure under the terms of Commission Decision 2004/412/EC, which regulates the surveys of bovine livestock. The administrative data was consolidated by the Federal Institute of Agricultural Economics, which also subsequently processed the results.

Swine stocks as at December 2011

The total number of pigs for the reference day 1 December 2011 amounted to about 3 005 000 head which is - compared to 2010 - a decrease by 4.1%. The decreasing trend was observed in all sub-groups: The number of piglets and young pigs (-5.1% to 1 522 000) declines as well as the number of pigs for fattening (-3.1% to 1 207 000) and pigs for breeding (-3.1% to 276 000).

The piglets (less than 20 kg) showed a decline of 6.1% to 718 000, while young pigs (20 to below 50 kg) dropped by 4.2% to 804 000. The category of pigs for fattening (50 to below 80 kg) showed a loss of 5.3% to 603 000. Within the sub-group pigs for breeding there was a reduction related to the number of old breeding sows by 4.8% to 216 000 animals, while the number of young breeding increased by 4.2% to 53 800 animals.

Sheep and goat stocks as at December 2011

There was a slight increase related to the total number of sheep within the last year (+0.8% to 361 000), as the number of goats (+0.8% to 72 400 animals).

About the methodology

The survey was based on EU Regulation (EC) No 1165/2008 concerning livestock and meat statistics; implemented under Ordinance Federal Law Gazette II No. 147/2009 (available in German only) issued by the Federal Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management. So the stock of pigs, sheep and goats was collected by a sample survey at around 7 000 holdings.