Just over 98,500 additional cattle (including veal) have been processed to date this year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
As of Sunday, September 18, just under 1.28 million cattle had been processed at DAFM approved factories. In the same time period last year, this figure stood at just under 1.18 million cattle.
The number of cattle processed in all categories has increased, which has been the biggest talking point in the beef sector so far this year.
Just over 282,000 cows have been processed to date this year compared to just over 244,000 cows in the same time period last year. This marks an increase in the cow kill of just under 38,000 head.
As of August 31, the majority of the increase came from the dairy herd, with figures indicating the number of suckler cows processed by this date had increased by approximately 6,600 head to 81,800 head.
Number of cattle processed to date this year compared to the same time period last year:
Young bull, steer and heifer throughputs have all increased as well, with the number of young bulls processed to date this year up by 5,230 to just over 99,000 head.
The steer (bullock) kill is up by just under 27,000 head with just under 493,000 bullocks processed to date this year.
In the heifer category, just under 353,500 heifers have been processed, marking an increase of just over 19,500 head processed to date this year.
Looking at the veal figures and the number of calves processed (primarily from the dairy sector) has increased by over 7,000 head to just over 28,000 calves.
Excluding veal, the number of cattle that have been processed to date this year has increased by just over 91,000 head.