- Weekly factory cattle supplies in July 2024 have rebounded, reversing a declining trend since April.
- Cow kills surged by over 1,200 head compared to the same week in 2023, contributing to a cumulative increase of nearly 20,000 cows for the year.
- Despite nearing last year’s total beef kill levels weekly, 2024’s cumulative kill remains over 19,700 head higher, driven by increased cull cow numbers.
Surge in Cow Kill Drives Growth in Weekly Factory Cattle Supply
Weekly factory cow kills have seen a notable uptick over the past four weeks, reversing a declining trend observed since early April.
In the week ending Sunday, July 7, steer and heifer supplies were slightly below last year’s levels by 1,000 and 600 head respectively, while the cow kill surged by over 1,200 head compared to the same week in 2023.
According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the cumulative cow kill for the year has exceeded 226,000 head, marking an increase of nearly 20,000 cows. Notably, almost 60% of last week’s cow kill were categorized as P grade.
Here’s a snapshot of the beef kill statistics for the week ending July 7, compared to the same period last year and cumulative totals for 2024 versus 2023:
- Animal | Week Ending Sun, July 7 | Equivalent Last Year | Cumulative 2024 | Cumulative 2023
- Young Bulls: 2,636 | 2,703 | 67,722 | 73,158
- Bulls: 647 | 530 | 14,730 | 14,670
- Steers: 10,548 | 11,550 | 317,467 | 319,559
- Cows: 9,780 | 8,503 | 226,037 | 206,213
- Heifers: 8,700 | 9,301 | 261,395 | 254,038
- Total: 32,311 | 32,587 | 887,351 | 867,638
Despite nearing last year’s levels in total beef kill for the week, the cumulative kill for 2024 remains over 19,700 head higher than 2023, largely driven by increased cow slaughter.
While cumulative steer supplies this year have dipped below last year’s levels, overall heifer kills are still more than 7,000 head higher than last year.
Recent trends according to Agriland, indicate a pickup in weekly factory cattle supplies since early June, as depicted in the accompanying graph.
Initially forecasted to decline by 30-40,000 head this year, the latest beef kill trends suggest a potential smaller decrease in overall cattle supplies if the current high weekly cow kill rates persist.
Challenges such as lower-than-expected grass growth in June and July have prompted many farmers to offload livestock earlier than usual, contributing to the increased cull cow numbers reflected in weekly beef kill statistics.