Beef kill: 2025 supply now down by over 180,000 head
The number of cattle slaughtered at Irish factories this year has now fallen by more than 180,000 head.
This is according to the latest beef kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The figures published by DAFM detail the killings for the week ending Sunday, December 7.
With the kill-to-date now down to a new record of 183,805 less than last year, it is beginning to look like it may just pass the 200,000 mark before the year is out, especially considering it is down nearly 15,000 since last week's figures.
Only 32,120 animals went through the DAFM-approved factories this week in total, compared to the near 40,000 that went through in the same week last year.
The biggest reduction in kill numbers has been seen in cows, which are now down by 85,389 for the year.
Cow kills are back by 4,228 in the first week of December 2025 versus the same week in 2024, with 422 less cattle going through factories this week compared to last week.
This is despite it being cull cow season.
However, it is not just cows, with every animal type having less kill-outs in DAFM-approved factories this week.
The table below outlines the details of cattle supplies in the week ending Sunday, December 7, compared to the same week of last year, and the cumulative kill-to-date this year compared to last year.
| Animal Type | Week Starting 2025-12-1 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative 2024 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 2,339 | 2,441 | 96,860 | 99,949 | -3,089 |
| Bulls | 306 | 475 | 22,426 | 27,186 | -4,760 |
| Steers | 11,506 | 12,842 | 589,132 | 654,077 | -64,945 |
| Cows | 7,587 | 11,815 | 336,584 | 421,973 | -85,389 |
| Heifers | 10,382 | 11,924 | 466,723 | 492,345 | -25,622 |
| Total | 32,120 | 39,497 | 1,511,725 | 1,695,530 | -183,805 |
The table above show that DAFM-approved factories have processed 64,945 fewer steers in the year to date when compared to last year.
There has also 25,622 less heifers processed, 4,760 less bulls slaughtered, and 3,089 fewer young bulls killed in these factories.
Weekly kill numbers are still running at more than 7,000 head/week below the same time period last year.
However, this week marks the fourth consecutive week where beef kill was over 32,000 head after only surpassing the 30,000-mark five weeks ago for the first time since April.
