Beef kill: Supplies edge up but still 10,000 head/week below 2024
Latest beef kill figures show weekly factory cattle supplies increased marginally last week but remain 10,000 head/week below last year.
Just under 30,000 head of cattle were slaughtered in the week ending Sunday, October 26, up slightly from the 28,100 head slaughtered in the week previous.
Despite this, weekly cattle supplies have been over 10,000 head/week below last year for the past four consecutive weeks.
The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers to date this year have been comparing to last year:
Generally, at this time of year, weekly kill numbers in the region of 40,000 head are considered normal, but a combination of factors have aligned to result in the cumulative kill-to-date this year to have fallen by over 140,000 head (excluding veal).
Supplies are not expected to recover into the year end or into early 2026, with reduced suckler cow numbers and increased cattle exports in recent years both contributing factors to this drop in supplies.
The table below details cattle supplies in the week ending Sunday, October 26, compared to the same week of last year, and the cumulative kill-to-date this year compared to last year:
| Animal Type | Week Starting 2025-10-20 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative 2024 | 2024/2025 difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 1,249 | 1,473 | 86,670 | 88,717 | -2,047 |
| Bulls | 344 | 465 | 20,367 | 24,549 | -4,182 |
| Steers | 12,847 | 15,936 | 515,606 | 570,670 | -55,064 |
| Cows | 6,396 | 10,260 | 291,325 | 359,444 | -68,119 |
| Heifers | 9,037 | 11,778 | 408,314 | 421,466 | -13,152 |
| Total | 29,873 | 39,912 | 1,322,282 | 1,464,846 | -142,564 |
The biggest drop-off to date this year has been in the cow category, with supplies down by over 68,000 head. The steer kill is down by 55,000 head and the heifer kill down by a less severe but still significant 13,000 head.
Prices have been on the rise in recent weeks and, with Christmas orders for beef arriving at factories over the past week, the pressure will be on outlets to fill out kill sheets to meet these orders.
