During the first quarter of 2007, meat production in Malta amounted to 3,215 tonnes, representing a fall of 2.3 per cent over the comparative period in 2006, according to National Statistics Office figures released yesterday.

No slaughter of animals was undertaken in Gozitan slaughter-houses. In the period under review, production of beef and pig meat declined by 3.1 per cent and 19 per cent respectively, while broiler meat increased by 38.5 per cent over the comparative period last year While the number of cattle slaughtered declined by 5.4 per cent, the number of pigs slaughtered declined by 22.4 per cent. On the other hand, the number of broilers slaughtered in the first quarter this year increased by 29.6 per cent. The producer value of animals slaughtered at licensed slaughter-houses for the period under review fell by 5.1 per cent to stand at Lm 2.2 million. Underpinning this was an increase of 28.4 per cent in the producer value of broilers slaughtered, which was offset by declines in the producer value of cattle and pigs, by 0.5 per cent and 19.0 per cent respectively.