Beef kill: Year-on-year cattle throughput behind by 10.5%

The beef kill in 2021 is finding it hard to reach the cumulative figure achieved during the same period in 2020 – as the throughput (excluding veal) is behind by 10.5%, or 54,042 head.

The recovery has been difficult due to limitations placed on demand as food service industries were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. However a booming retail demand, and the reopening of the UK food service industries, has been aiding the demand on supplies and beef price over recent weeks.

Up to the week ending April 18, a cumulative total of 458,039 head of cattle (excluding veal) had been slaughtered.

Looking at the figures in more detail, there has been 170,164 head of steers processed this year – which is a deficit of 12,090 head on last year.

The heifers have suffered the biggest hit in throughput this year, as numbers processed are behind by 20,162 head. In total, there has been 144,038 head of heifers passing through factory gates in 2021.

Furthermore, the cow kill this year has only been hit with a 4,059 head deficit, while the young bulls processed are massively behind by 15,540 head – naturally aided by the movement towards steer production.

Cumulative year-on-year beef kill changes:

Steers: 170,164 head (-12,090 head or -6.6%);
Heifers: 144,038 head (-20,162 head or -12.2%);
Cows: 92,981 head (-4,059 head or -4.1%);
Young bulls: 44,282 head (-15,540 head or -26%);
Bulls: 6,574 head (-2,191 head or -24.9%);
Total: 458,039 head (-54,042 head or -10.5%).

Week-on-week beef kill

The week-on-week kill has slightly increased for the week ending April 18, by 829 head – as the total throughput for last week reached 29,609 head (excluding veal).

The biggest jump in supplies processed last week was the category of cull cows – as an additional 720 head had been slaughtered in comparison to the previous week – bringing the total kill to 6,626 head.

The number of heifers processed last week had also risen to 8,966 head, which is a week-on-week kill increase of 472 head.

Meanwhile, the weekly throughput of steers last week dropped slightly by 180 head – bringing their total weekly kill to 11,340 head.