Report reveals over 400,000 cattle recorded in local herds

There are over 400,000 cattle in herds across the Shannonside region according to figures from the CSO.

A new report shows the herd size in Roscommon, Longford and Leitrim stands at 401,900 animals.

Herd numbers have fluctuated over the last two years but have widely stayed the same, due in part to the closure of marts during the pandemic.

Roscommon has the biggest herd locally, with 216,700 cattle being raised in the county as of June last year, with over 10,000 of these being dairy cows.

In Longford, the latest figures show almost 13,000 dairy cows out of a population of 120,000 cattle.

While in Leitrim, farmers are managing 65,000 cattle in the county, with nearly 20,000 of these used in dairy production.