Figures from the Department of Agriculture show that that beef kill has been above 30,000 for 23 of the last 26 weeks since September 2013.
The 30,000 mark was breached again last week with the total kill standing at 32,919. The kill was 4,846 head ahead of the same week last year, representing a 17 per cent increase.
This figure is up on the previous weeks kill which was 31,854. Cumulatively the kill is now stands at 310,666 head, up some 21,952 on 2013.
Supplies of young bulls have rebounded in the past number of weeks. The kill was up 32 per cent last week at 6,148 on 2013. The kill has been above six thousand for the past six weeks, however the kill is still down cumulatively at 58,448 compared to the opening eight weeks of the year in 2013. Although it has caught up dramatically and is now only 718 head behind 2013.
In contrast to the young bull kill in recent weeks steer supplies had been tightening in factories. However last week there was a change with the kill up on 2013 figures at 9,338. Although the steer throughput tightened in recent weeks, a high kill over the early weeks of 2014 means that the steer kill is cumulatively still seven per cent up on 2013 at this stage.
Heifer throughput at factories was up noticeably last week some 10 per cent above the same week last year at 8,584. In parallel to the steer kill the heifer kill has been high since the start of the year now up 11 per cent at the same week last year.
Cows have been a key contributor to the increased kill so far this year. Again last week the kill was up six per cent on the same week last year. In total 68,043 cows have been killed so far in 2014 this is 7,850 or13 per cent higher that at the same stage in 2013.
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