The breaking of the link between farm production and EU farm supports, which became operative from January 1st, has already been felt in Irish meat plants.
Bord Bia, the Irish food board, reported that livestock supplies had varied significantly from their more traditional trends in factory kills in 2004 reflecting the changes in the CAP.
It said that to the week before Christmas, the total cattle kill at Irish beef export plants was running at 4 per cent less than in the previous year, a drop of 76,000 head to 1.65 million animals.
"While overall levels of supply has increased in the last three months, the decline experienced particularly during the summer months will not be offset," said the Bord Bia market monitor.
The number of steers slaughtered during the period declined by 70,000 head, or just under 8 per cent on the same period last year.
Heifer throughput fell by more than 39,000 head or 9 per cent.
Bord Bia said total lamb and ewe throughput amounted to 3.1 million head and this was almost 390,000 head or over 14 per cent above the same time last year.
Within this, said the monitor report, lambs accounted for 314,000 head, almost 13 per cent above the 2003 figure, while ewe supplies are some 21 per cent ahead, or 76,000 head higher than at the same time last year.
At pig export plants, total pig supplies declined by over 6 per cent to the 50th week, almost 174,000 head below the same period in 2003.
A breakdown of the figures showed that finished pigs declined to 2.51 million head, while the number of sows and boars slaughtered declined by almost 11 per cent, or over 9,000 head.
"The downturn in pig slaughterings reflects the destocking by Irish producers, combined with producers exiting the industry," said the market monitor report.
"Also a factor in the lower throughput in the increased number of pigs going to Northern Ireland for slaughter, estimated to be in the region of 475,000 head in 2004," the Bord Bia report added.