Sheep posture in NRW: decline in stocks - what are the reasons?

Sheep posture in NRW: decline in stocks - what are the reasons?

On November 3, 2024, a total of around 144,000 sheep were registered in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) on 1,280 companies. These numbers, which were published by it.nrw , show a significant decline compared to the previous year when the number of sheep decreased by 4.6 percent. The number of companies with sheep farming also experienced a slight decline of 0.5 percent.

On average, 112 sheep came per posture operation, whereby this means a decline in 5 animals compared to 2023. Over 70 percent of sheep in North Rhine -Westphalia were female animals that were kept to breed, which corresponds to a number of 101,900 females. These included around 1,800 milk sheep that are of particular importance in agriculture.

Demographic distribution of sheep

The age structure of the sheep stocks is also of interest. About 25.1 percent of sheep, that is around 36,200 animals, were under one year old. In addition, there are 3,300 macawbags, which is only 2.3 percent of the total number. However, regions within NRWS show significant differences in the stocks. The Arnsberg region leads with 29.3 percent of sheep farming, which corresponds to 42,200 sheep.

• Detmold: 31,000 sheep (21.5 percent)
• Düsseldorf: 28,000 sheep (19.5 percent)
• Cologne: 27,200 sheep (18.9 percent)
• Münster: 15,600 sheep (10.8 percent)

The increase in sheep farming in the Arnsberg region of 4.4 percent is particularly noteworthy, while the Münster administrative district had the strongest decline in minus 18.8 percent. This data illustrates the dynamic change in sheep farming in NRW, which is influenced by different regional developments.

survey methods and statistical basics

The figures mentioned are based on surveys that are carried out in accordance with the Agricultural Statistics Act. The population of the survey includes farms with at least 20 sheep. A sample is drawn annually as of November 3, the results of which are prepared for the country and the government districts. This methodology is supported by Statistics nrw

The survey takes place, taking into account operating and inventory size classes in order to set a detailed evaluation. Error reviews are made to validate the data, whereby the published information is output rounded. Deviations in the sums often result from the rounds of the individual values.