The scarcity of cattle is set to continue into 2026, with Bord Bia forecasting a further contraction in the cattle kill of up to 45,000 head next year.
This is on top of a predicted 150,000-head fall in the number of prime cattle processed in 2025. The current weekly kill is falling fast, with last week’s kill coming in at just under 26,000 head, down from just over 30,000 three weeks ago and down over 15,000 head on the same week in 2024.
The drop in numbers is causing some head-scratching in factory circles, with agents scrambling for cattle this week to fill factory lairages.
Price increases of as much as 30c/kg have been seen this week, with bullocks now selling off a base price of €7.40/kg and heifers up at €7.50/kg and above in some locations.
Price rise
At a Teagasc beef seminar in Carlow this week, Bord Bia’s Joe Burke said: “European prices have been on the rise and we are seeing Irish beef quote increases this week on the back of tight supply.”
Meanwhile, the national cattle herd continues to contract, with lower birth registrations and higher live exports feeding into lower numbers.
The latest calf birth registration statistics published by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation show that there was a reduction of 22,958 suckler births so far in 2025, while calf registrations to dairy cows are running 31,438 head lower than last year.
Irish Farmers Journal analysis of Department of Agriculture data shows that the decline of the national herd continues. There were 34,000 fewer suckler cows and almost 15,000 fewer dairy cows on farms on 1 September 2025 compared to the same date last year.
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