The latest data from the Department of Agriculture’s beef kill database shows that some 38,045 head of cattle were slaughtered in Irish beef processing plants last week.
This is a massive jump of 22,980 head or 153% when compared to the previous week’s kill, when the Beef Plan Movement (BPM) protest reduced the processors slaughtering capacity to just 15,065 head.
This was in addition to the week before last; during the week the protest began, the beef kill dropped by 5,898 head or just under 17%.
Last week, the number of young bulls slaughtered amounted to 2,949 head – a jump of 1,476 head, while the number of aged bulls increased by 335 head to 745 head.
The number of steers presented for slaughter increased by 11,401 head to 17,585 head on the previous week. Cow numbers jumped by 3,822 head and the number of heifers slaughtered increased by 5,934 head.
In addition, yearly supplies of steers are down by 14,043 head and cows decreased by 12,286 head. Moving to heifers, the number of these animals presented for slaughter has increased by 27,737 head.
- Young bulls: 155,024 head (+16,633 head or +12%);
- Bulls: 25,262 head (+4,688 head or +22.7%);
- Steers: 372,677 head (-14,043 head or -3.6%);
- Cows: 231,599 head (-12,286 head or -5%);
- Heifers: 328,221 head (+27,737 head or +9.2%);
- Total: 1,125,837 head (+26,857 head or +2.4%).