Beef kill: Weekly factory supply continues below 30,000 head
Weekly beef kill numbers are continuing just below 30,000 head, latest Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) figures show.
Weekly factory cattle supplies have failed to surpass 40,000 head this year, peaking in February at just over 39,000 head.
Late September and early October last year saw supplies surpass 40,000 head/week for three consecutive weeks.
This autumn, supplies peaked in late September at 30,000 head.
The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers to date this year have been comparing to last year:
Supplies this autumn had been running approximately 10,000 head/week below the corresponding weeks of last year for several weeks, but that differential narrowed in the week ending Sunday, November 2.
The table below details cattle supplies in the week ending Sunday, October 26, compared to the same week of last year, and the cumulative kill-to-date this year compared to last year:
| Animal Type | Week Starting 2025-10-27 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 1,089 | 1,190 | 87,759 | 89,907 |
| Bulls | 332 | 420 | 20,699 | 24,969 |
| Steers | 12,442 | 13,168 | 528,048 | 583,838 |
| Cows | 6,867 | 8,995 | 298,192 | 368,439 |
| Heifers | 8,993 | 10,010 | 417,307 | 431,476 |
| Total | 29,723 | 33,783 | 1,352,005 | 1,498,629 |
No significant uplift in supply is expected from now to year end. With some uplift in demand anticipated in the lead-up to Christmas, it is hoped continued beef price positivity can prevail.
