Beef kill: Rise in young bull supply as overall kill remains low
Latest beef kill figures show just under 25,500 head of cattle (excluding veal) were slaughtered in the week ending Sunday, August 17.
According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), last week's kill is up by just over 1,000 head on the previous week but down by over 6,500 head on the same period of 2024.
The cumulative kill-to-date this year stands at 1.04 million head of cattle - down by almost 38,000 head year-on-year.
The table below gives an overview of the beef kill in the week ending Sunday, August 17, of this year versus the same week last year, and the total beef kill-to-date this year versus last year:
| Animal Type | Week ending Sunday, Aug 17 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 1,886 | 1,257 | 75,280 | 76,904 |
| Bulls | 476 | 707 | 16,187 | 19,143 |
| Steers | 11,249 | 14,783 | 386,594 | 396,527 |
| Cows | 4,643 | 6,636 | 235,275 | 273,521 |
| Heifers | 7,218 | 8,653 | 328,894 | 314,067 |
| Total | 25,472 | 32,036 | 1,042,230 | 1,080,162 |
When comparing the figures with the same week of last year, the only category with a rise in numbers is the young bull kill, up by over 600 head in 2025.
While the total number of young bulls slaughtered last week account for less than 7.5% of the total beef kill last week, it is up from the 3.9% in the same week of last year and may indicate a reversal in the declining young bull kill figures of recent years.
The graph below illustrates the 2025 weekly beef kill trends compared to 2024.
As the graph above illustrates, the 2025 cattle supplies have been trending significantly below 2024 supplies since June.
While weekly kill numbers are expected to pick up towards the end of the year, overall supplies are expected to remain significantly below 2024.
