After falling for three consecutive weeks, the weekly number of cattle slaughtered has increased for the past two weeks in a row, according to latest beef kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The number of cattle slaughtered in the week ending, Sunday, August 6, totalled 33,862 head (excluding veal), a marginal increase of 820 head on the previous week.
This brings the total number of cattle slaughtered to date this year to 996,185 head, down 36,500 head on the same time period of last year.
The graph below gives an overview of how weekly beef kills from this year are comparing to last year:
Supplies of cattle are expected to increase for the remainder of the third quarter and into the final quarter of this year.
Despite this, supplies of cattle are expected to remain below last year’s levels but it remains to be seen to what extent this trend will materialise.
The table below gives an overview of last weeks’ beef kill compared to the same week of last year and the cumulative beef kill this year compared to last year:
Animal Week ending
Sunday, August 6Equivalent
Last YearCumulative
2023Cumulative
2022Young bulls 1,712 1,639 80,178 89,763 Bulls 677 629 17,435 17,366 Steers 15,928 15,294 377,058 387,931 Cows 6,835 6,123 235,138 242,700 Heifers 8,710 8,323 288,376 296,972 Total 33,862 32,008 998,185 1,034,732
The weekly supply of steers (bullocks) has increased for the past four consecutive weeks and last week recorded the highest weekly kill of steers to date this year at 15,928 head.
Trade commentary
Irish beef prices have been in decline since May of this year, with prices back considerably in all categories.
According to Bord Bia, the Irish Composite Beef price was above the Export Benchmark Price from late December of 2022 to early June 2023. Since then, the Irish Composite Beef Price has been below the Export Benchmark Price.
As of Saturday, August 5, the Irish Composite Price was €4.47/kg, 18c/kg below the Export Benchmark Price of €4.65/kg.
Factory cattle procurement staff have given no indication of price cuts relenting and at present the average Irish R3 steer price is just under 10c/kg below the price from the same time last year.
As it stands, farmers with cattle to sell in the final five months of the year will bear the brunt of the beef-price cuts and it remains to be seen if these price cuts will be reversed next spring for the winter-finished cattle.