Supplies of cattle at factories remains high as processors exert downward pressure on prices. Figures from the Department of Agriculture show that the total beef kill last week was 32,234.
This figure is up on the previous weeks kill which was 31,557. The total cattle kill has been above 30 thousand for seven of the eight weeks so far in 2013. This has led to the kill being 6 per cent ahead at this stage than where it was this time last year.
Supplies of young bulls have rebounded in the last number of weeks. The kill was up 15 per cent last week at 6,434. The kill has been above six thousand for the past four weeks, however the kill is still down 7 per cent cumulatively compared to the opening eight weeks of the year in 2013.
In contrast to the young bull kill steer supplies are tightening in factories with the kill down 3 per cent last week on the same week in 2013 at 9,024. However a high kill over the early weeks of 2014 means that the steer kill is cumulatively still 9 per cent up on 2013 at this stage.
Heifer throughput at factories was up noticeably last week some 10 per cent above the same week last year at 8,772. In parallel to the steer kill the heifer kill has been high since the start of the year now up 11 per cent at the same week last year.
Cows have been a key contributor to the increased kill so far this year. Again last week the kill was up 6 per cent on the same week last year. In total 53,124 cows have been killed so far in 2014 this is 5,333 or 6 per cent higher that at the same stage in 2013.
Sheep
Total sheep kill in factories in contrast to cattle remains down on 2013. 41,762 sheep were killed last week, while supplies were up on the previous week the kill is still down 9 per cent on 2013 at this stage. Last week saw 15,000 hoggets and 21,650 lambs killed.
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