Latest beef kill figures for the week ending Sunday, May 26, have shown the weekly supply of factory-fit bullocks has fallen to the second-lowest level this year.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) figures, just over 11,200 steers (bullocks) were slaughtered in the week ending Sunday, May 26.
The supply of factory-fit bullocks fell by by almost 950 head on the volume of steers slaughtered at DAFM approved factories in the previous week.
The total number of steers slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories to date this year stands at just over 256,000 head, which is over 4,700 head above the volume of steers processed in the same time period of last year.
The highest weekly steer kills this year was seen in February with three consecutive weeks of over 13,000 steers slaughtered.
Contrary to the trend of falling weekly steer supplies, the number of heifers slaughtered last week has increased with over 9,300 heifers slaughtered, up almost 400 head from the number slaughtered in the previous week.
The total number of heifers slaughtered to date this year stands at 211,700 head, up almost 10,000 head on the same time period of last year.
The highest weekly heifer kills this year was also seen in February with three consecutive weeks of over 11,000 head of heifers slaughtered at DAFM approved factories.
The trend of falling availability of factory-fit steers is not unusual at this time of year as steers are generally slower to come ‘factory fit’ off grass than their heifer counterparts.
Cow supplies are remaining strong with just under 7,200 cows slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories in the week ending Sunday, May 26, up over 200 head on the previous week.
Just over 175,000 cows have been slaughtered to date this year, an increase of over 18,500 head on the same time period of last year.
The highest weekly cow kill this year was in the first week of February with over 10,000 cows processed.
Over 2,700 young bulls were processed last week, bringing the total young bull kill this year to 50,400 head, a drop of 3,000 head on the previous year.