This year’s total beef kill has continued to fall behind the number of cattle processed as of this time last year, according to figures released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) today, Tuesday, July 6.

Last week, Agriland reported the national beef kill to be 53,626 head of cattle behind figures from the same timeframe last year.

Following last week’s kill, that gap has widened by a further 6,216 head and the national kill is now 59,842 head of cattle behind this time last year.

The total number of cattle slaughtered at department-approved plants this year now stands at 809,179 head. This time last year, that figure was at 869,021 head.

Weekly beef kill

Last week, 31,113 cattle were processed at department-approved slaughter plants.

While the total number of cattle slaughtered in department-approved factories increased last week by a fine margin of 830 head on the previous week’s kill, it has continued to fall further behind last year’s kill figures, and that gap is expected to widen further.

The increase in last week’s kill versus the previous week was seen primarily in the steer category with an additional 732 steers being presented for slaughter.

Speaking earlier this year about the reasoning behind fewer factory cattle being available, Bord Bia’s Joe Burke explained:

“There are a few factors behind this reduction. The year of 2019, in particular, was very strong for calf exports, so many of them were exported out of the country at that time.

“Combining this with a reduction in young bull finishing, these young male animals which would have previously been slaughtered as young bulls, are now being slaughtered up to nine months older. This is likely to push more of these males to be slaughtered into next year.

“Finally, we have seen very strong exports to Northern Ireland, which has taken a lot of cattle out of the system,” Burke added.

Shortage of cattle

The shortage of cattle supplies in Ireland is expected to be shortlived it seems, as Joe Burke stated that the numbers of cattle available for slaughter will recover in 2022 and 2023.

This is due to calf exports suffering a decline last year and at the beginning of 2021.

Adding the males that have not been slaughtered as young bulls this year to the mix, Bord Bia projects this will increase throughput back to the levels seen in 2020.