The number of factory cattle sourced from controlled finishing units (CFUs) or feedlots showed a decline in 2023, according to latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
In 2023, a total of 415,500 head of cattle slaughtered at EU-approved slaughter plants were sourced from CFUs, back 1,000 head on the 416,500 head sourced from CFUs in 2022.
While the decline is relatively small compared to the overall number, it is the first year in which factory cattle supplies from CFU’s noted a decrease since 2019.
The table below outlines the number of cattle killed at EU-approved slaughter plants originating from CFUs by month from 2017-2023:
Month 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 January 20,000 24,000 28,000 25,000 25,500 28,500 37,000 February 20,000 24,500 26,000 27,000 25,500 35,000 35,500 March 21,500 24,500 27,000 27,000 28,500 36,000 36,500 April 19,500 26,000 29,000 20,000 28,000 35,500 31,500 May 25,000 29,000 31,000 22,500 28,500 40,000 37,500 June 24,500 27,500 25,500 26,500 32,000 35,500 36,500 July 19,500 24,500 26,000 26,500 30,500 34,000 32,500 August 20,000 21,500 20,000 21,000 25,500 32,000 28,500 September 18,500 18,500 13,000 22,000 25,500 32,000 27,500 October 20,500 23,500 21,500 24,000 27,000 30,500 32,500 November 28,500 26,500 20,000 27,500 31,500 41000 43,000 December 25,500 25,000 21,500 30,000 33,000 36,500 37,000 Total 263,000 295,000 288,500 299,000 341,000 416,500 415,500
As can be seen from the table above: January; February; March; June; October; November and December of 2023 all noted increases (on the same month of 2022) in the numbers of cattle originating from CFUs, while all other months noted declines.
In 2023, a total of 1,749,159 head of cattle (excluding veal) were slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories. With 415,500 of these cattle sourced from CFUs, that would indicate 23.8% of all cattle were sourced from a CFU in 2023.
What is a Controlled Finishing Unit?
As part of Ireland’s Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, if a beef finishing herd meets the necessary criteria, it is allowed to avail of a special status – known as a CFU.
In November 2022, there were 374 CFUs or ‘feedlots’ in Ireland.
A CFU herd is a specialised finisher of beef that does not deliberately engage in the active breeding of animals. It is a non-breeding herd which disposes of all cattle on the holding direct for slaughter, and poses a minimal risk of infecting cattle on adjacent holdings.
To be considered eligible for CFU status, the holding must fulfill at least one of the following three criteria:
- The cattle are permanently housed (never on pasture) or;
- There are no contiguous holdings with cattle or;
- The boundaries are walled, double-fenced or equivalent, so as to prevent any direct contact with cattle on contiguous holdings.
When a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a CFU under the bovine TB Eradication Programme, the herd is restricted under the TB Regulations and a special official supervisory and testing protocol is established.
Such herds are not exempt from testing, reactor removal or disinfection requirements. Restricted CFU herds (feedlots) are TB tested at least once a year.
According to DAFM, the CFU status arrangement allows the delivery of an effective level of disease risk management while controlling the risk of further disease spread in compliance with animal health legislation, and enabling business continuity in this particular type of enterprise through the inward movement of cattle.
Cattle from CFU herds (feedlots) restricted under the TB Eradication programme are only permitted to move to an EU approved slaughter plant and may not be exported.