Beef kill: Weekly kill numbers continue to trend below last year
Weekly beef kill numbers are continuing to trend well below last year, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Just over 32,200 cattle (excluding veal) were slaughtered in the week ending Sunday, March 29, over 3,900 head below the same week of last year when over 36,000 cattle were slaughtered.
Prices are also falling below the corresponding weeks of last year and are also lagging behind the prices being paid in key UK and European markets.
According to the Bord Bia cattle price dashboard, as of March 21, the average UK 'R3' steer price was €7.35/kg, a total of 50c/kg above the average Irish price of €6.85/kg.
The average EU young bull price was €7.26/kg, 41c/kg above the Irish base price.
The table below details weekly beef kill numbers in the week ending Sunday, March 29, versus the same week of last year and the cumulative beef kill-to-date this year versus the same week of last year:
| Animal Type | Week ending March 29 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2026 | Cumulative 2025 | Cumulative difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Young Bulls | 2,073 | 1,602 | 35,292 | 34,609 | +683 |
| Bulls | 583 | 565 | 4,972 | 5,678 | -706 |
| Steers | 12,763 | 13,899 | 143,701 | 165,042 | -21,341 |
| Cows | 6,648 | 8,016 | 84,503 | 107,118 | -22,615 |
| Heifers | 10,144 | 12,051 | 130,146 | 153,031 | -22,885 |
| Total | 32,211 | 36,133 | 398,614 | 465,478 | -66,864 |
As can be seen in the above table, the largest drop off in supplies are in the heifer, cow, and steer categories respectively.
Often when cattle kill numbers are lower than corresponding weeks of the previous year, it is a supply-related issue. However, this year, the cause of the trend seems to be different.
Weekly kill numbers are being maintained between 30-33,000 head/week.
In recent weeks, farmers have seen delays in booking in cattle for slaughter of up to three weeks, despite weekly kill numbers running below last year.
These booking delays have now been alleviated somewhat, and there are signals of the beef prices stabilising after a 40c/kg decline since late February.
The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers have been trending compared to last year:
Supplies were strong in the first half of last year and dropped off in the second part of the year.
It remains to be seen if supplies in the second half of this year will drop off or remain between the 30-33,000 head/week as has been seen to date this year.
