The lowest average purchase price of raw milk was recorded in January (417 EUR/t) and the highest in August (498 EUR/t). Gradual price reduction started in September, and it had dropped to 483 EUR/t in December.
In 2022 total raw milk (including goat's milk) output constituted 975.3 thousand t, which is 16.9 thousand t or 1.7 % fewer than in 2021. Out of the total volume of raw milk produced, 810.9 thousand t or 83.3 % were purchased by milk procurement and processing enterprises (812.6 thousand t or 82.1 % in 2021).
A slight upturn in the milk production was observed in Vidzeme (of 2.3 thousand t or 0.9 %) while the sharpest downturn in Latgale (7.8 thousand t or 4.0 %).
The number of dairy cows declined from 131.2 thousand at the end of 2021 to 127.8 thousand at the end of 2022 or by 2.6 %. The most notable drop in the number of dairy cows was recorded in agricultural holdings keeping 5 dairy cows or fewer (of 1.4 thousand or 11.4 %) while in holdings keeping 300 dairy cows or more it grew by 1.9 thousand or 6.1 %. Downturn in the dairy cow number was observed in all regions; the most dramatic in Zemgale – of 0.9 thousand.
The average milk yield per dairy cow grew by 130 kg or 1.8 %, reaching 7 492 kg annually.
In 2022 meat output in Latvia grew: 94.2 thousand t of meat were produced, which is 0.8 thousand t or 0.8 % more than in 2021. An upturn was registered in the output of pork (2.3 %), poultry (2.2 %), mutton and goat meat (1.0 %), while output of beef and veal fell by 6.5 %.
Regional breakdown of the data shows the highest meat output increase in Kurzeme (of 0.5 thousand t or 6.3 %) and largest reduction in Latgale (0.6 thousand t or 8.4 %).
Output of livestock products
|
2021 |
20222 |
Change, % (2022/2021) |
|
|
Meat (slaughter weight), thousand t |
93.4 |
94.2 |
0.8 |
|
beef and veal |
17.0 |
15.9 |
-6.5 |
|
pork |
37.8 |
38.7 |
2.3 |
|
mutton and goat meat |
0.8 |
0.9 |
1.0 |
|
poultry |
37.6 |
38.4 |
2.2 |
|
other |
0.1 |
0.3 |
78.7 |
|
Raw milk (incl. goat milk), thousand t |
992.2 |
975.3 |
-1.7 |
|
Eggs, million pcs |
825.6 |
872.2 |
5.6 |
Pork and poultry took the largest share of the meat output. The greatest increase was registered in the share of poultry – from 34.7 % in 2015 to 40.8 % in 2022. The share of pork in the total meat output fell to 41.1 % (42.0 % in 2015) while of beef and veal to 16.9 % (22.0 % in 2015).
At the end of 2022, compared to the year before, the number of pigs and sheep fell by 19.1 thousand or 5.8 % and 3.0 thousand or 3.3 %, respectively.
Cattle number reduced slightly – from 393.5 thousand at the end of 2021 to 391.4 thousand at the end of 2022 (drop of 2.1 thousand or 0.5 %).
The number of goats and horses, in turn, grew slightly – by 2.5 % and 3.3 %, respectively.
Livestock number
(thousand, at the end of the year)
|
20211 |
20221, 2 |
Change, % (2022/2021) |
|
|
Cattle |
393.5 |
391.4 |
-0.5 |
|
dairy cows |
131.2 |
127.8 |
-2.6 |
|
other cows |
61.4 |
62.9 |
2.4 |
|
Pigs |
327.0 |
307.9 |
-5.8 |
|
Sheep |
90.3 |
87.3 |
-3.3 |
|
Goats |
11.4 |
11.7 |
2.5 |
|
Horses |
8.4 |
8.7 |
3.3 |
|
Poultry |
5 857.7 |
5 744.3 |
-1.9 |
|
laying hens |
3 395.2 |
3 343.5 |
-1.5 |
At the end of 2022 the number of laying hens dropped by 51.7 thousand or 1.5 %. During the year, 872.2 million eggs were produced, which is 46.6 million or 5.6 % more than in 2021. Hens’ eggs accounted for 98 % of all eggs produced (97 % in 2021). One laying hen on average produced 307 eggs, which is 2.7 % more than in 2021.
