After four consecutive weeks of factory cattle supplies remaining below 35,000 head, the beef kill numbers totalled just over 37,200 head in the week ending Sunday, January 19.
According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), supplies for the second full week of January this year were over 2,000 head above the same week of 2024.
Reduced supplies as a result of the snow and ice in parts of the country in the week ending Sunday, January 12, may have partially attributed to the strong supply last week.
The graph below shows how beef kill numbers as of the week ending Sunday, January 19, have been gradually returning to pre-Christmas levels:
The record prices available for all types of fleshed cattle at factory outlets across the country is also attributing to more farmers bringing cattle out earlier than usual this year.
Supplies are up in all the main categories of cattle with the exception of cows. Despite this, Bord Bia projections indicate a reduced supply of cattle across all categories this year with the majority of this drop forecast to materialise in the first half of the year.
The table below details the beef kill for the week ending Sunday, January 12, this year versus the same week of last year, and the total beef kill to date this year versus the same time period of last year:
Type Week ending Sun, Jan 19 Equivalent
Last YearCumulative
2025Cumulative
2024Young Bulls 3,357 2,722 9,479 8,852 Bulls 307 298 733 861 Steers 12,544 12,111 34,138 34,032 Cows 8,708 9,222 20,869 25,069 Heifers 12,331 10,828 33,130 31,402 Total 37,247 35,181 98,349 100,216
As the table above indicates, cow supplies are back over 4,000 head to date this year while heifer supplies have increased 1,700 head.
The Status Red warning in place nationwide on Friday, January 24 as a result of Storm Éowyn will likely see beef kill numbers for this week impacted as a result of the high winds causing logistical challenges for farmers getting cattle to the factory.