Figures on the national beef kill, released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) this week, indicate that there are now over 70,000 fewer cattle processed at DAFM-approved processing plants than this time last year.
While the total number of cattle killed for the week commencing July 27, is up 1,045 head on the previous week (commencing July 19), the cumulative beef kill up to July 31, is back by 70,368 head of cattle for the same time period last year.
The difference in last year’s kill compared to this year is a gap that is continuing to widen and is expected to widen further.
Weekly beef kill changes (last week versus previous week)
- Young bulls: 1,738 head (-409 head);
- Bulls: 672 head (+26 head);
- Steers: 16,327 head (+2,212 head);
- Cows: 6660 head (-720 head);
- Heifers: 8,617 head (-33 head);
- Total: 34,039 head [incl. veal] (+1,045 head).
As the above figures indicate, last week’s kill has increased on the previous week’s kill by 1,045 head of cattle.
However, the figures below indicate the difference in the number of cattle processed this year including the week commencing July 27, versus last year’s throughput including the week commencing July 20.
Cumulative kill changes (year to date versus previous year)
- Young bulls: 83,731 head (-13,657 head);
- Bulls: 15,528 head (-4,195 head);
- Steers: 347,394 head (-14,626 head);
- Cows: 201,820 head (-3,020 head);
- Heifers: 271,686 head (-29,143 head);
- Total: 941,839 head [incl. veal] (-70,368 head).
The heifer kill has taken the biggest blow this year, back by over 29,000 head when compared to the same timeframe last year.
Steers have taken the next biggest hit, down by 14,626 head followed by young bulls for which throughput is down by 13,657 head.
The bull kill has dropped by just over 4,000 head while the overall cow kill is down by just over 3,000 head.
Industry experts have predicted this year’s kill figures to continue to fall further behind last year’s kill figures.