There was no bank holiday boost for prime cattle prices last week and this week has proven no different. Factory-fit bullocks and heifers – for the most part – are trading at 375c/kg and 385c/kg respectively. However, prices may be 5c/kg higher for in-spec cattle.

Official figures show that some 33,831 cattle were processed in Department of Agriculture approved beef export plants last week – a fall of 4,622 when compared to the previous week’s kill. This is mainly due to the bank holiday on Monday last week.

The addition of last week’s throughput brings the cumulative kill for the year – up to and including the week ending November 4 – to over 1.51 million head.

Looking at the figures in more detail, last week’s steer and heifer kill stood at 13,965 head and 8,842 head respectively; when combined, this represents 67% of the total weekly kill last week.

Cow slaughterings accounted for the third largest segment of the kill at 7,933 head, while young bull and aged bull throughput stood at 2,645 head and 395 head respectively.

As mentioned above, just over 1.51 million cattle have been slaughtered in Ireland this year – a climb of 53,195 head or 3.6% when compared to the corresponding period in 2017.

Throughput increases have been witnessed in the young bull, aged bull, cow and heifer categories. However, steer throughput has declined by 12,709 head or 2.2% – largely due to the rise in young bull slaughterings.