The number of sheep that entered the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland in 2024 totaled just over 365,500 head.
Responding to a query from Agriland on Monday, September 30, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) confirmed that just over 211,000 sheep have entered the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland to date this year (2025).
Total imports for 2024 were up 81,000 head on total imports for 2019.
The table below sets out the number of sheep that have entered Ireland from Northern Ireland, including those direct for slaughter in 2025, 2024, and 2019:
Year
Number of sheep that entered Ireland from Northern Ireland, including those direct for slaughter
2025 (to date)
211,061
2024 (full year)
365,533
2019 (full year)
284,491
According to the DAFM, the data on sheep imports from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland “does not provide for a distinction between lambs and other sheep”.
According to the Northern Ireland Executive’s results from the June agricultural census for 2024, the total ovine population recorded in Northern Ireland (in June 2024) was 1,969,023, which was a 4% fall from June 2023.
Irish factory sheep kill
Latest figures from DAFM shows that as of Sunday, July 28, the cumulative factory sheep kill this year has fallen by 20% or almost 380,000 head when compared year-on-year.
So far this year, the cull ewe and breeding ram kill is down almost 64,000 head or 32% to just under 145,000 head.
The spring lamb kill is down 178,000 head or 22% to just under 650,000 and the hogget kill is down 137,600 head or 15% to just under 760,000 head.
A total of 40,600 sheep were slaughtered in the last week of September this year, down 31% or 18,100 head on the same week last year.
