Average carcass weights in 2023 hit the lowest levels in the past decade, according to figures published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The DAFM Beef Carcass Classification and Price Reporting annual report for 2023 revealed that the average steer and heifer carcass weights have been in decline since 2020, while the average cow carcass weight has been in decline since 2019.
The average young bull carcass weight hit a six year low in 2023, with an average weight of 368kg recorded and has also been in decline since 2020.
The report states that in 2023, the average Irish steer carcass weight was 347kg back 13kg from the average steer carcass weight of 360kg in 2020.
The table below details the average Irish steer carcass weight over the past decade:
Year Average steer carcass weight 2014 352 2015 359 2016 357 2017 353 2018 349 2019 358 2020 360 2021 356 2022 350 2023 347
Total slaughtering at DAFM plants decreased by 38,659 in 2023 to 1,781,830 compared to the 2022 figure of 1,820,489.
The 2023 beef kill was composed as follows:
- Steers: 38.9%;
- Heifers: 27.6%;
- Cows: 23.5%;
- Young bulls: 6.6%.
The report details that the number of young bulls slaughtered in 2023 totalled 117,686 – a decrease of 15,766 compared to the 2022 figure of 133,452.
Young bull slaughtering accounted for 14% of the overall adult male slaughter in 2023 compared to 15.3% in 2022,15.6% in 2021, 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 2023 totalled 693,933, a decreased of 19,230 compared to the 2022 figure of 713,163. Steers accounted for 82.7% of the overall adult male slaughter in 2023 compared to 81.6% in 2022.
The number of heifers slaughtered in 2023 totalled 492,036 – a decrease of 10,770 on the 2022 figure of 502,806.
Heifers accounted for 54.1% of the adult female cattle slaughter.
The average carcase weights of steers, heifers, cows and young bulls decreased from 2022 to 2023 by -3kg, -3kg, -5kg and -1kg respectively.
The average cow carcass weight decreased by 5kg in 2023 to 294kg from the 2022 figure of 299kg and from a high in 2019 of 318kg.
In 2023, 59.0 % of steers, 55.4 % of heifers and 43.2% of young bull carcasses weighed between 280-380kg. While 19.2 % of steers, 5.5 % of heifers and 34.6% of young bull carcasses were greater than 400kg.
The majority of steers (74.8%) and heifers (87.9%) fall into fat class 3 or 4. However 22.4% of steers fell into fat class 2 in 2023. In the case of young bulls, the majority fall into fat class 2 (40.0%) and 3 (52.4%) .
The number of cows slaughtered in 2023 was 418,232, an increase of 4,964 on the 2022 figure of 413,268. 62.6% of cow carcasses graded a P and the percentage of all other cow conformation grades decreased in 2023.
Cow fat scores 4 & 5 have decreased year-on-year since 2019.
The average steer price difference between conformation class E and O is 34c/kg, while the average steer price difference between conformation class O and P is 35c/Kg.
Many factors are being blamed for the drop off in carcass weights, including the challenging weather conditions experienced in the second half of 2022.
However, the growing influence of dairy genetics on the national beef kill is without doubt taking a major toll on carcass weights across all categories of beef cattle.