An analysis of the latest animal identification and movement (AIM) figures published by the Department of Agriculture for 1 September 2026 shows over 135,000 more beef-sired cattle on farms compared with 1 September 2025.
The increase in numbers is being underpinned by higher numbers of cattle aged from 12 to 36 months of age, along with an increase in suckler cow numbers.
The latter increase in suckler cow numbers is in the region of 26,601 head, as detailed in Table 1.
While this is helping to bolster cattle numbers in the zero- to 12-month age categories, the increase in cattle aged 12 to 36 months of age is stemming from increased use of beef sires in dairy breeding programmes, which is being facilitated in some cases by the use of sexed semen.
This is reflected in Table 2, where the number of dairy replacement heifers continues to run below 2025 levels.
The number of dairy heifers on farms on 1 September is running over 14,000 head lower and, as can be seen, this is driven by lower numbers in the 12- to 36-month age categories.
There has been a significant change in sentiment in dairy herds since these heifers were born and this is reflected in higher numbers in the three- to six-month and six- to 12-month age categories.
The number of dairy cows on farms is also running almost 16,500 head higher than 12 months previous.
Beef kill forecast
Figure 1 combines the number of beef cattle on farms and gives an indication of what numbers in the beef kill pipeline are like. There is higher numbers in all total age categories, with about 50,000 more cattle in the six- to 18-month age categories.
It must be noted that these figures are compared with lower numbers on farms in 2025, so even with the increase in numbers, the kill over the next few months is not likely to jump significantly compared with 12 months earlier.
