Figures released by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine today, Tuesday, July 13, have confirmed that the national beef kill is now over 60,000 head behind last year’s kill figures.

Last week, Agriland reported the national beef kill to be 59,842 head of cattle behind figures for the same timeframe last year.

Following last week’s kill, that gap has widened by a further 5,127 head and the national kill is now 64,969 head of cattle behind this time last year.

The total number of cattle slaughtered at department-approved plants this year now stands at 841,205 head. This time last year, that figure was at 906,174 head.

Weekly beef kill changes (week ending July 11):

  • Young bulls: 2,368 head (-87 head or -3.6%);
  • Bulls: 578 head (+127 head or +22%);
  • Steers: 12,857 head (+1,041 head or +8.4%);
  • Cows: 7,335 head (-224 head or -3%);
  • Heifers: 8,861 head (+63 head or +1%);
  • Total: 32,026 head [incl. calves] (+913 head or +2.9%).

While the kill is up 900 head on last week’s figures, it is 5,127 head behind the number of cattle slaughtered in the same week last year – a good indication of the availability of finished beef cattle nationwide currently.

While kill numbers have been minutely increasing over the past number of weeks, the weekly kill figures for this year are still hovering just over 30,000, whereas this time last year the kill numbers were approaching 40,000 head.

Cattle numbers tight

Speaking at the Bord Bia Meat Marketing Seminar ‘Mid-year Market Outlook’ on Thursday, July 8, Bord Bia’s beef sector manager, Mark Zieg, gave his insight on developments in 2021 to date, and an outlook on the beef trade for the rest of year.

“Cattle numbers are tight at the moment and this is the case across Europe.”

Bord Bia has predicted this year’s total kill in Ireland to come in at approximately 1.69 million head of cattle.

This is a forecasted drop of 110,000 head to be processed in Irish factories this year.

However, Bord Bia estimates the first half of next year will see more cattle gradually coming through the system.

BEEF KILL