The Romanian livestock sector in figures
Livestock numbers on December 1, 2023 were down compared to the end of the previous year, according to data published recently by the National Institute of Statistics (NSI). In 2023, the number of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, as well as poultry decreased compared to 2022.
Cattle
The total number of cattle and the breeding herd (dairy cows, buffalo cows and heifers) decreased by 1.0% and 1.4% respectively, on December 1, 2023 compared to December 1, 2022. As of December 31, 2023, the total number of cattle stood at 1.815 million heads (-19,000 heads vs 2022), of which cows, buffaloes and heifers 1.177 million heads (-16,800 heads vs 2022).
Romania ranks tenth in the European Union in terms of cattle herd, after France (16.807 million heads), Germany (10.836 million), Ireland (6.526 million), Poland (6.436 million), Spain (6.295 million), Italy (5.999 million), the Netherlands (3.723 million), Belgium (2.236 million) and Austria (1.835 million), European statistics show. In terms of density per 100 ha of land, Romania ranks 20th, followed by Greece and Bulgaria.
Pigs
The total number of pigs decreased by 5.2% from 3.329 million heads in 2022 to 3.154 million heads in 2023, and the breeding stock (sows) shrank by 4.2% to 272,600 heads at the end of last year (-12,000 heads).
According to Eurostat data, Romania ranked ninth in the European Union last year in terms of pig herds, after Spain (33.803 million heads), Germany (21.224 million), France (11.794 million), Denmark (11.368 million), the Netherlands (10.471 million), Poland (9.77 million), Italy (9.171 million) and Belgium (5.404 million). In terms of density per 100 ha of land, Romania ranked nineteenth followed by Slovakia, Lithuania and Bulgaria.
Sheep and goats – Romania is second in the EU
Romania ranks second among EU member states after Spain (15.89 million heads). In terms of density per 100 ha of land, Romania was second after Greece, Eurostat shows.
However, both the total number of sheep and goats as well as the breeding stock decreased by 0.1% and 0.3% respectively. At December 31, 2023, Romania had 11.721 million sheep and goats, down by 9,300 heads, while the breeding herd was down by 29,800 heads to 10.064 million.
The total number of poultry also fell last year, by 0.6%, to 77.750 million, of which 38.536 million laying hens.
Trends
In terms of trends, the cattle herd declined continuously from 2006 to 2011, when it reached 1.989 million heads. From 2011 through 2023, the cattle herd remained at a relatively constant level. In 2023 Romania had only 61.9% of the cattle herd it used to have in 2006.
The pig herd also declined steadily, reaching in 2023 some 46.3% of the 2006 level,. The sheep and goat stock showed a fluctuating trend, reaching 11.721 million head in 2023, 39.4% more than in 2006.
A recent development is that the country is currently confronted with the occurrence of the Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), with 37 active outbreaks and 218,756 animals affected by the end of July.