SCOTTISH LIVESTOCK numbers continued to decline last year – but the rate has slowed down, raising hopes that the crisis may be stabilising.

According to the results of the 2009 Survey of Agriculture, between December 2008 and December 2009, the number of cattle fell by 21,000, from 1.78 million to 1.76 million, equivalent to a decrease of 1.2%.

At the same time, the number of sheep fell by 104,000, from 4.7 million to 4.6 million, equivalent to a decrease of 2.2%.

In the intensive sector, the news was better, with pig numbers up by 12,000, from 382,000 to 395,000, an increase of 3.2%, and poultry up by 344,000, from 13.2 million to 13.6 million, an increase of 2.6%.

NFU Scotland president Jim McLaren commented: “Better prices in the livestock sector are starting to feed through some stability in numbers, following several years of decline. The pig sector is showing the largest increase as the high number of gilts shown in the June census start to come on stream.”

However, he added that it was “vital” that the livestock sector in general did not over react to these better prices, and restock beyond that which the market could absorb.

Speaking for the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers, president Alan Craig was less upbeat: “While these figures reveal a welcome slowing in the decline in cattle and sheep production, the fact remains that the trend is still downwards and therefore heading in the wrong direction.

“This reinforces the message we gave at the end of last week in our response to the Pack Report, namely that a significant increase in support to boost calf and lamb production is absolutely vital if Scotland is to continue to have a viable meat industry.”

Elsewhere in the survey results, there were increases for winter sown cops, with wheat up 17.3% from 88,000 hectares to 104,000 hectares, and oilseed rape up 14.7% from 29,000ha to 33,000ha. The area of winter barley, however, showed a decrease of 2.2% from 53,000 hectares to 52,000 hectares. The overall increase in winter crops reflects more favourable sowing conditions in the autumn of 2009 compared to 2008.

“On the arable side, the weather has again restricted plantings of winter crops (although less so than in 2008) , but very poor market conditions and continuing high growing costs will not encourage much ‘recreational’ planting of spring cereal crops this year,” predicted Mr McLaren.

“Vegetable production continues to show good growth, but profitability is still patchy, with some crops such as potatoes going through yet another extremely difficult trading period,” he added.

“Scottish agriculture overall remains in better shape than it has for some time, and I remain optimistic about the future, particularly in the medium to long term.”