Supplies of cattle to meat plants continue to remain at high levels according to Department statistics released today. To date in 2014 some 439,067 cattle have been slaughtered this is an increase of 12% or 49,740 on the same period last year.
Last week’s beef kill alone was over 8,000 head above the corresponding week last year at 32,657. Most notably, the number of heifers slaughtered for the year to-date has increased by 15%, while steer and cow supplies have risen by 11% and 13% respectively.
Click below to see a break down of this weeks kill: [table id=27 /]
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the Livestock and Meat Commission says reports from industry have indicated a tightening in the availability of prime cattle for slaughter in recent weeks with prime cattle throughput last week totalling 5,689 head. This is 180 head higher than the previous week but is 578 lower than the corresponding week in 2013 when 6,267 prime cattle were slaughtered. There have also been changes in the slaughter mix with young bulls accounting for 16 per cent of the prime cattle kill in NI last week compared to 21 per cent in the corresponding week last year.
Imports of prime cattle from ROI for direct slaughter totalled 373 head last week and accounted for 6.6 per cent of the total prime kill. In the corresponding week last year prime cattle imports for direct slaughter from ROI totalled 476 head and accounted for 7.6 per cent of the total prime cattle kill.
Meanwhile 181 prime cattle were exported to GB for direct slaughter last week bringing the total for 2014 to date to 2,158 head. In the corresponding period in 2013 2,969 head were exported accounting for a 27 per cent decline year on year