Latest beef kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show the 2023 cow kill to date has surpassed figures from the same time period of 2022, despite the overall cattle kill dropping by 52,000 head (excluding veal).
Almost 12,000 cows (11,969) were slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories in week 46 of this year or the week ending Sunday, November 19. This is understood to be the highest weekly cow kill on record.
DAFM figures show 66.3% of these were ‘P’ grade cows and over 25% of these were ‘P1’ grade cows which is the lowest carcass grade and fat score achievable.
The table below gives an overview of the beef kill for week 46 of this year versus the same week of last year and the cumulative kill this year compared to last year:
Category Week ending
19-Nov-23Equivalent
Last YearCumulative
2023Cumulative
2022Young Bulls 2,134 2,458 102,375 116,595 Bulls 517 584 25,317 25,585 Steers 13,838 13,787 624,213 647,317 Cows 11,969 10,793 358,875 358,335 Heifers 10,538 10,841 433,705 448,714 Total 38,996 38,463 1,544,485 1,596,546
The steer (bullock) supply last week was just over 13,800 head, which is ahead of the same week last year, but the overall steer supply this year has fallen by over 23,100 head.
Weekly steer supplies have been falling since mid-October when supplies peaked at just over 18,000 head in the third week of October.
Last week’s heifer kill was slightly below the same week of last year, but the cumulative heifer kill this year is 15,000 head below last year.
The young bull kill last week is also slightly below the same week of 2022, but the cumulative young bull kill this year is over 14,200 head below last year.
The graph below shows how weekly beef kills have been comparing to last year:
Weekly beef kills have been generally increasing in size since early September, and have likely peaked in late October.
It remains to be seen what extent overall cattle supplies will drop off into the final five weeks of the year and if cow kills will remain at such high levels.