Beef kill: P1 cows comprise 25% of last week’s cow kill

Cows with a carcass grade of P1, or the lowest grade achievable, accounted for almost 25% (24.4%) of the cow figures in the national beef kill last week, according to latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

These cows are predominantly ‘parlour cows’ or dairy cows which are coming from the dairy herd and are sent directly for slaughter without receiving additional feeding to fatten them before slaughter.

While 24.4% of the cows graded a P1, 62.1% of the cows graded a P.

Last week’s (week 43) cow kill at DAFM-approved factories totalled 10,079 head making it the highest weekly cow kill to date this year.

According to DAFM figures, just under 10% of these cows (9.6%) were P-1- grade cows.

The department said that the national average price paid for P-1- grade cows in the week ending Sunday, October 29, was €2.20/kg while the average price paid for P+1+ cows was €2.94/kg.

For a full list of average factory prices paid by grade on a weekly basis, click here.

The table below gives an overview of the beef kill for week 43 of this year (excluding veal) versus the same week last year and the overall kill to date, this year, compared to the same time period of last year.

As the table above indicates, the cumulative beef kill to date, this year, (excluding veal) is running 54,228 head below last year.

Week 43 saw the total beef kill cross 40,000head for the second consecutive week of this year.

Supplies generally tend to peak at this time of year as the grazing season draws to a close across the country.

Interestingly, the steer kill dropped off by 940head to just over 17,150head after being over 18,000head for two consecutive weeks.

Bord Bia has forecast the supply of prime cattle will increase in the final quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 but to what extent this trend will materialise remains to be seen.