Beef kill: Supply bounces back to over 40,000 head

The beef kill in the week ending Sunday, November 12, (week 45) totalled over 40,000 head (excluding veal), according to latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

This marks the third week this year where supplies surpassed 40,000 head with weeks 41 and 42 also recording kills of over 40,000 cattle.

The cumulative cattle kill this year (excluding veal) stands at 1,505,489 head, which is over 52,500 head below the same time period of last year.

The table below compares the beef kill in week 45 of this year to the same week of last year and compares the overall beef kill this year with the same time period of last year:

As can be seen from the table above, the supply of all cattle types has fallen to date this year. Cow supplies have remained high with over 11,000 cows slaughtered last week bringing the total cow kill this year to just under 347,000, less than 1,000 head below last year.

The steer (bullock) supply last week was just over 15,400 head, which is on-par with the same week last year, but the overall supply this year has fallen by over 23,150 head.

Last week’s heifer kill remained on par with the same week of last year, but the cumulative heifer kill this year is 14,700 head below last year.

The graph below shows how the weekly supplies this year have been comparing to last year:

Supplies dipped significantly in the week commencing Monday, October 30, as a result of the October Bank Holiday Monday and resulting in a four-day week.

With week 46 (this week) not included in the figures, there are six weeks of kills remaining this year. It is unlikely that numbers will recover significantly to year-end, however, Bord Bia has forecasted supplies of steers and heifers to remain strong for the remainder of this year and the first quarter of next year.