Factory agents around the country are saying beef kill sheets are 'filled out' for up to two weeks in many cases as farmers around the country are experiencing delays in getting cattle booked in for slaughter.

In a few cases, loyal suppliers of 'choice lots' of cattle are managing to secure booking dates earlier, but in most cases, farmers calling outlets today (Thursday, March 12) are being offered booking-in dates for their cattle towards the end of the month.

Procurement bosses are citing reduced demand for beef as the attributing factor causing the recent beef price drops, but the latest Bord Bia data shows the average Irish 'R3' steer price is trending 33c/kg below the average EU young bull price and 29c/kg below the average UK 'R3' steer price.

The latest official data on the Bord Bia Cattle Price Dashboard is for the week ending Saturday, February 28, and Irish factory price offers for prime cattle have fallen 20c/kg since then.

As well as average Irish beef prices trending below UK and EU averages, the weekly kill numbers at Irish factories are also trending below this time last year.

The graph below shows how weekly beef kill numbers have been comparing to last year:

Just over 32,900 head of cattle (excluding veal) were slaughtered in the week ending Sunday, March 8, making it the highest weekly kill of cattle this year.

Despite this, last week's beef kill was 5,134 head of cattle below the equivalent week of 2025.

The table below outlines the details of cattle supplies in the week ending Sunday, March 8, compared to the same week of last year, and the cumulative kill-to-date this year compared to last year:

The cumulative beef kill-to-date this year is running over 57,200 head of cattle below 2025 levels.

The 2026 factory cattle supply is forecast to remain at a similar level as 2025, which saw supplies drop by 213,000 head on the previous year, according to Bord Bia.