Last week’s beef kill composition has remained relatively similar overall to the previous week with the total number of cattle processed up 400 head on the previous week.

A total of 34,497 head of cattle (including veal) were processed at factories approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) last week.

Last week’s throughput figure is just slightly behind the number of cattle processed in the same week last year, with 537 extra cattle processed in the same week of 2020.

Weekly beef kill changes (last week versus previous week)

  • Young bulls: 1,374 head (-70 head);
  • Bulls: 599 head (-36 head);
  • Steers: 17,603 head (+716 head);
  • Cows: 5,779 head (- 490 head);
  • Heifers: 9,119 head (+285 head);
  • Total: 34,497 head [incl. veal] (+400 head).

As the figures above indicate, the most noticeable rise in last week’s kill was seen in the steer category which now makes up more than half the overall national weekly kill and heifers and steers combined making up over 75% of the weekly kill.

Heifer numbers increased slightly by 285 head, while cow numbers have fallen back by a noticeable 490 head.

Looking at weekly kills, experts have predicted that throughput will likely remain steady with no significant rise forecast in weekly throughput levels for the remainder of the year.

Kill for 2021 to date

The cumulative beef kill to date for 2021 now stands at just under 1.11 million head of cattle and is 74,112 cattle behind last year’s kill for the same period.

A number of factors are contributing to the reduced kill figures this year. The high level of calf exports in 2019 has helped alleviate the number of dairy-beef calves that are currently in the Irish beef system.

This, coupled with a strong live export market to Northern Ireland for forward store and finished cattle, is reducing the numbers of finished cattle on the ground that are available for meat processors in Ireland to buy.

According to Bord Bia, live cattle exports to Northern Ireland are up by over 31% when compared to last year’s figures.

Bord Bia’s figures indicate that a total of 51,839 head of cattle have been bought in Ireland by purchasers from Northern Ireland so far this year.

The beef kill in Ireland is expected to continue to fall further behind last year’s throughput, and the reduced availability of beef cattle is expected to continue into the first quarter of next year.