The latest Department of Agriculture figures show the effect of protests carried out by the Beef Plan Movement on factory throughput. The beef kill reduced by 5,898 head to 29,138.

This week’s throughput will be curtailed to a much greater extent and it is estimated it could be back up upwards of 50% with protests now extending to 22 plants.

The protests are also having a marked effect on sheep throughput. Last week’s sheep kill fell by 7,559 head on the previous week and was recorded at 7,559 head.

This does not take into account the full extent of the reduction with throughput building ahead of next week’s Eid al-Adha festival.

The festival underpinned the largest weekly kill for the last decade but it is now apparent that throughput will be well short of the almost 80,000 head recorded in the corresponding week in 2018.