The average beef carcass weights of steers, heifers, cows and young bulls all witnessed a decrease in 2021, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
In a report published by the DAFM, all four of these categories witnessed a fall in average carcass weights, with the most significant fall noticed in the young bull category.
The Beef Carcass Classification and Price Reporting – Annual Report 2021 also shows that as well as a fall in weights, a fall in the number of cattle processed in all of these categories was also recorded.
Average carcass weights by year and category (kg cold) from 2012 to 2021:
Year Steers Heifers Cows Young bulls 2012 365 306 311 372 2013 349 299 302 357 2014 352 309 315 365 2015 359 314 317 374 2016 357 313 315 370 2017 353 311 312 365 2018 349 308 304 369 2019 358 315 318 378 2020 360 318 315 379 2021 356 313 309 371
As the table above indicates, the average carcass weights of steers, heifers, cows and young bulls all decreased in 2021, by 4kg, 5kg, 6kg and 8kg respectively.
The report notes that the total slaughtering at DAFM plants decreased by 98,251 in 2021 (1,687,127) when compared to 2020 (1,785,378).
Steers accounted for 40.0% of the overall kill, heifers accounted for 28.4% and cows accounted for 21% of the beef kill last year.
Average weights, confirmation and fat classes, and the percentage of cattle in each grade and fat class in 2021: (Source DAFM)
Young bulls 
Cows 
Heifers 
Steers (bullocks)
Young bulls accounted for 7.7% of the kill in 2021. The number of young bulls slaughtered in 2021 (129,844) decreased by 10,489 when compared to 2020 (140,333).
Young bull slaughtering accounted for 15.6% of the overall adult male slaughter in 2021, compared to 16.2% in 2020 and 24% in 2019. The number of young bulls slaughtered peaked in 2019 at 210,158.
The number of steers slaughtered in 2021 (674,485) decreased by 21,203 compared to 2020 (695,688), and accounted for 81.2% of the overall adult male cattle processed in 2021 compared to 80.1% in 2020.
Seasonality of slaughtering:
The number of heifers processed in 2021 (479,639) decreased by 40,840 on 2020 (520,479) and accounted for 57.5% of the adult female slaughter.
The number of cows processed in 2021 (354,116) decreased by 13,607 on 2020 (367,723) and accounted for 42.5% of the adult female slaughter.
Local Authority plants
The total kill at Local Authority plants increased in 2021 by 3,560 cattle to 99,886 compared to 2020, when 96,326 cattle were processed at local authority-approved plants.
Number of cattle processed from 2012-2021:
Number of cattle processed at DAFM-approved plants 2012-2021 
Number of cattle processed at Local Authority approved plants 2012-2021
Weights and fat classes
In 2021, 59% of steers, 58% of heifers and 46% of young bull carcasses weighed between 280-380kg.
A total of 22% of steers, 6% of heifers and 35% of young bull carcasses were greater than 400kg.
83.7% of steers and 89.3% of heifers fall into fat class three or four, however in the case of young bulls, the majority fall into fat class two and three at 42.7% and 49.9% respectively.
Exports
The beef kill report also outlines that total cattle exports decreased by 19,253 head in 2021 compared to 2020.
Live exports of calves, weanlings, stores and finished cattle from 2012 to 2021:
The live export of calves decreased by 2,215 head to 141,494 in 2021, while the live export of weanlings decreased by 17,982 head.
However, exports of stores and finished cattle increased by 1,480 compared to 2020.