§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the utilisation of livestock slaughtering facilities for cattle, sheep and pigs in Northern Ireland at existing abattoirs and meat plants; and whether there is over or under provision of slaughtering facilities.
§ Mr. ViggersThere are 23 slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland with a combined catle and sheep slaughter capacity per week of approximately 23,000 cattle equivalents (one cattle unit equals five sheep) and 29,000 pigs. In recent years utilisation of slaughtering facilities was as follows:
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Average weekly slaughterings Year Cattle equivalents Pigs 1987 11,197 22,264 1986 12,025 23,352 1985 13,895 22,850
Year Cattle equivalents Pigs 1984 12,998 22,389 Peak weekly slaughterings 1987 15,152 25,247 1986 20,029 27,959 1985 24,183 26,890 1984 20,534 28,646 On an annual or average weekly basis, there is overprovision of slaughtering capacity. However, as the figures above for 1984 (pigs) and 1985 (cattle) indicate, there are times when the total capacity now available is required to cater for the seasonal peak of slaughtering in any year of high livestock production and marketing.