Colombia’s 2022 cattle slaughter was 3.1 million head, a drop of 5.9% compared to 2021, according to data from National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE).
This is the lowest figure in recent years for the cattle sector, but buffalo continued to trend upward, exceeding its record level in 2021 record level.
At the end of 2022, the DANE Livestock Slaughter Survey showed that slaughter totaled 3,107,462 head of cattle and 38,323 of buffalo cattle, adding up to 3,145,785 animals. The cattle total is 5.9% lower than in 2021 and the lowest number recorded in recent years. On the other hand, buffalo numbers increased to the best figure in a decade.
Total slaughter is almost 195,000 head less than the 3.3 million harvested in 2021 and 4.6% less than the 3.25 million in 2020. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, it is a drop of 8.8% with 300,288 fewer heads.
Only the number of females increased, with +7.6 %. Males 9.7% lower compared to 2021 and calves, 48.1%. Compared to 2019, males decreased by 15%, females by 4.7% and calves by 53.4%.
