Beef kill: September cattle supply starts 10,000 head below last year
Latest beef kill figures show factory cattle supplies in the first week of September this year were 10,000 head below the same week of last year.
According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), a total of 27,549 head of cattle (excluding veal) were slaughtered in the week ending Sunday, September 7 this year (week 36).
In the same week of last year, supplies were at 37,539, which is almost 10,000 head of cattle (9,990) ahead of this year.
The table below shows the total beef kill in the week ending Sunday, September 7, this year versus the same week last year and the total 2025 beef kill to date this year versus last year:
| Animal Type | Week ending Sunday, Sept 7 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 1,018 | 968 | 78,818 | 79,928 |
| Bulls | 462 | 588 | 17,546 | 21,004 |
| Steers | 13,232 | 17,330 | 424,049 | 445,143 |
| Cows | 5,180 | 8,132 | 250,844 | 296,703 |
| Heifers | 7,657 | 10,521 | 351,364 | 342,827 |
| Total | 27,549 | 37,539 | 1,122,621 | 1,185,605 |
Looking at the total beef kill figure for 2025 to date, supplies for this year are down by almost 63,000 head (62,984), excluding veal.
Weekly beef kill numbers this year have dropped off since late June and have failed to return to June levels since.
Last year, supplies remained more steady for June and July before dipping off in early August and then increasing steadily into late August and September.
The graph below gives an illustration of weekly cattle supplies in 2025 compared to 2024:
Despite the continued tightness in supply, processors have reduced prices in the past two weeks with some outlets back by 20c/kg.
While prices have dropped off since peak, returns for beef cattle remain at record highs for the time of year and farmer confidence in the beef trade remains high going into the winter months.
