Beef Kill: 2025 factory supply down by over 160,000 cattle
The number of cattle slaughtered at Irish factories this year has fallen by over 160,000 head.
Latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that as of the week ending Sunday, November 16, a total of 1.4 million (1,415,401) cattle have been slaughtered to date this year.
This years' kill-to-date is down by over 160,000 (161,492) head on the same time period of 2024.
The table below details cattle supplies in the week ending Sunday, November 16, compared to the same week of last year, and the cumulative kill-to-date this year compared to last year.
| Animal Type | Week Starting 2025-11-10 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative 2024 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 1,737 | 2,070 | 90,926 | 93,553 | -2,627 |
| Bulls | 339 | 449 | 21,388 | 25,897 | -4,509 |
| Steers | 12,323 | 14,594 | 553,283 | 613,068 | -59,785 |
| Cows | 7,346 | 10,078 | 312,859 | 388,573 | -75,714 |
| Heifers | 10,337 | 12,369 | 436,945 | 455,802 | -18,857 |
| Total | 32,082 | 39,560 | 1,415,401 | 1,576,893 | -161,492 |
As can be seen from the above table, the most significant drop off in supplies this year has been in the cow category, with numbers down by almost 76,000 head.
The steer kill is down by almost 60,000 head, while the heifer kill is down by a less severe but still significant 18,900 head.
The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers to date this year have been comparing to last year:
Supplies have been gradually increasing over the past five weeks, but remain 7,000 head/week below weekly kill numbers from last year.
Factory cattle supplies had been running ahead of last year for the first half of 2025, but have been trending behind since then.
