Just under 40,000 head of cattle were slaughtered last week (ending Sunday, March 3), according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) beef kill figures.
Cow numbers have remained below 10,000 head since week five, as there were 9,623 killed last week, during week nine.
However, the overall supply of cows in 2024 to date is ahead of the numbers killed during the same period in 2023, by 10,862 head.
The supply of heifers has also increased by 3,919 head in 2024, when compared to the first nine weeks of 2023.
The table below gives an overview of the beef kill at DAFM approved factories in week nine of this year, versus the same week of last year and the total to date this year versus last year:
Type Week ending
March 3, 2024Equivalent
last yearCumulative
2024Cumulative
2023Young bulls 2,557 2,513 26,570 28,643 Bulls 483 526 3,345 3,725 Steers 13,313 12,635 110,037 105,853 Cows 9,623 7,604 82,145 71,283 Heifers 10,945 10,194 97,208 93,289 Veal – (V) 2,419 4,546 5,154 13,784 Veal – (Z) 60 34 532 502 Total 39,400 38,052 324,991 317,079
In the veal sections, Category V represents all cattle slaughtered under eight-months-of-age.
Category Z represents all cattle slaughtered from eight to 12-months-of-age.
The supply of Category V veal has risen significantly, as there were 2,419 cattle under eight-months-of-age slaughtered in week 9, compared to 1,682 in the previous week, and 767 head during week 7.
However, this is firmly behind the number killed during the same period in 2023, which stood at 13,784 head, compared to 5,154 this year.
The supply of young bulls fell for the third consecutive week, with 2,557 killed last week, compared to 2,655 in the previous week.
Steer (bullock) numbers have been over 13,000 head for three consecutive weeks, and their overall supply is 110,037 head in 2024 to date, and 4,184 head more than the figures from the same period last year.
So far this year, there have been 324,991 cattle slaughtered, which is 7,912 head more than the number killed during the same period in 2023.
Taking a look at this year’s beef kill figures to date, 324,991 cattle have been slaughtered so far.
Of that figure, 26,570 have been young bulls, 3,345 were bulls, 110,037 were steers, 82,145 were cows, while heifers accounted for 97,208.
The rest of the cattle slaughtered is made up of a supply of Category V veal (5,154), and Category Z veal (532).