The beef kill in the first 10 weeks of 2022 has seen cattle throughput increase by over 30,000 cattle (excluding veal) compared to figures from the first 10 weeks of last year.
As of the week ending Sunday, March 13, a total of 340,700 young bulls, bulls, steers, cows and heifers had been processed at Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine-approved slaughter plants.
This year’s throughput is up by 31,251 head of cattle from the 309,449 cattle processed in the same time period last year.
Looking at weekly throughput numbers, cattle supply has remained fairly steady over the past three weeks at just over 34,800 head/week being processed.
This time last year, the weekly kills were hovering just below the 31,000 head/week mark.
Weekly factory cattle throughput this year vs. last year:
With a three-day kill in most factories this week as a result of St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, March 17, and the public holiday on Friday, March 18, throughput will likely be lower for this week.
Despite the short week, conversations with factory agents would indicate processors are processing larger than usual numbers for the three working days of this week.
Factory throughput in each category:
As the table above indicates, steers are accounting for the largest number of cattle processed so far this year – as was the case last year – closely followed by heifers.
Interestingly, the number of young bulls processed in the first 10 weeks of this year has increased by 3,200 on the same time period last year.
The increase in cattle supply to date this year is in line with Bord Bia’s projections that the number of cattle processed in Irish factories is projected to increase by 70,000 head in 2022.
It appears that high beef prices over the winter encouraged farmers to feed cattle on over the winter, despite high meal costs.
The larger numbers of cattle coming out at this stage of the year can be seen as a positive sign for price later in the year, as it helps avoid the potential for a deluge of cattle in autumn when larger numbers of finished grass cattle are presented at factory lairages.