Beef kill: 2026 factory cattle supply over 52,000 head below 2025 levels
The 2026 beef kill figures show over 52,000 fewer cattle have been slaughtered to date this year than in 2025.
According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), just under 271,000 cattle (excluding veal) have been slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories in the first nine weeks of 2026.
The total 2026 beef kill-to-date is now 52,100 head below the almost 323,000 head of cattle slaughtered in the first nine weeks of 2025.
The table below outlines the details of cattle supplies in the week ending Sunday, March 1, compared to the same week of last year, and the cumulative kill-to-date this year compared to last year:
| Animal Type | Week ending March 1 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2026 | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 2,389 | 2,307 | 26,865 | 26,919 | -54 |
| Bulls | 420 | 496 | 2,875 | 3,263 | -388 |
| Steers | 11,856 | 14,186 | 93,928 | 111,137 | -17,209 |
| Cows | 7,026 | 8,931 | 57,467 | 74,846 | -17,379 |
| Heifers | 10,733 | 12,807 | 89,478 | 106,590 | -17,112 |
| Total | 32,424 | 38,727 | 270,613 | 322,755 | -52,142 |
In the week ending Sunday, March 1, 32,400 head of cattle (excluding veal) were slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories.
This figure is 6,300 head below the 38,700 slaughtered in the same week of last year.
The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers have been comparing to last year:
The final week of February marked the first week this year supplies surpassed 32,000 head.
Weekly factory cattle supplies have been hovering just over 30,000 head this year as processors have reduced their number of kill days and are managing the reduced overall supply of factory cattle available nationally.
Steer, cow, and heifer kill numbers have all fallen by over 17,000 head in the first nine weeks of this year.
In 2025, supplies remained strong in the first half of the year but fell off significantly in the second half of the year.
With weekly kill numbers this year generally ranging from 30-32,000 head, supplies look to be more stable for this year than last year, albeit with lower availability.
