Beef kill: Weekly supplies drop below 31,000 head

Weekly beef kill figures have slipped below 31,000 head for the past two consecutive weeks, according to Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) figures.

With data available up to the week ending Sunday, April 7, the past three consecutive weeks have all seen weekly kills below 32,000 head of cattle.

While these three weeks were all short weeks as a result of St Patrick’s Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it will be interesting to see next week how supplies have bounced back for the week ending Sunday, April 14.

The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers have been faring over the past 12 weeks:

As can be seen from the table above, weekly kill numbers have been in a general declining trend for the past six consecutive weeks.

Wet weather and the impacts it is having on farms is undoubtedly one of the biggest talking points amongst farmers presently however no one can say with certainty the delay in getting cattle turned out to grass will have on the beef trade.

Some procurement staff are of the opinion there could be additional cattle available for slaughter in May, as store cattle bought over the past six-to-eight weeks which were intended for grass likely remain housed and are receiving some form of supplementary feeding in most cases.

This could result in a delay in finished cattle numbers ramping up into the third quarter of the year. As farmers will know all to well, if the supply-demand dynamics are favourable for the seller, price increases may be on the table.

Generally speaking, beef price tends to rise in quarter one of the year, stabilise in quarter two of the year, begin to drop off in quarter three and bottom out and begin rising again in quarter four.

However, nothing is for certain in beef markets and this year may well buck that trend.

The table below gives an overview of the overall beef kill to date this year versus last year:

As can be seen from the table above, the cumulative beef kill to date this year is already over 24,000 head above last year.

Supplies have been forecast to fall compared to last year’s kill figures later into the year.