Beef kill: Weekly factory cow kill up 40% on same week of last year
The factory cow kill for the week ending Sunday, August 16, was 40% above the same week of last year.
A total of 6,500 cows were slaughtered at at Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-approved factories in the week ending Sunday, August 16, up 40% or 1,850 head on the same week of 2025.
Despite this, the total cow kill-to-date this year stands at just over 216,000 head, down by over 19,000 head or 8.2% on last year.
The table below details weekly beef kill numbers in the week ending Sunday, August 16, versus the same week of last year, the cumulative beef kill-to-date this year versus the same week of last year, as well as the change in numbers and percentage changes:
| Animal Type | Week ending Sun, August 16, 2026 | Same week of 2025 | Weekly change | Cumulative 2026 | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulls: | 651 | 476 | +175 (+36.8%) | 16,379 | 16,187 | +192 (+1.2%) |
| Cows: | 6,498 | 4,643 | +1,855 (+40.0%) | 216,094 | 235,273 | -19,179 (-8.2%) |
| Heifers: | 8,701 | 7,218 | +1,483 (+20.5%) | 304,141 | 328,896 | -24,755 (-7.5%) |
| Steers: | 14,263 | 11,249 | +3,014 (+26.8%) | 373,496 | 386,594 | -13,098 (-3.4%) |
| Young Bulls: | 1,766 | 1,886 | -120 (-6.4%) | 73,842 | 75,280 | -1,438 (-1.9%) |
| Total: | 31,879 | 25,472 | +6,407 (+25.2%) | 983,952 | 1,042,230 | -58,278 (-5.6%) |
The total beef kill-to-date this year remains over 58,000 head or 5.6% below last year.
Despite this, overall weekly cattle supplies since July have been trending well above this time last year.
The total beef kill for the second week of August is 6,400 head or 25% above the same week of last year.
Weekly kill numbers are expected to trend above last year for the remainder of this year, but supplies are not expected to return to 2024 levels.
