The number of cattle slaughtered in Ireland in February 2026 has fallen by 19.8% to 127,900 head compared with the same month in 2025, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Analysis of Department of Agriculture data shows that in February 2025 the kill stood at 159,500 head, resulting in a drop of over 31,000 head.
The overall decline in the cattle kill in the first two months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025 was 19.1%, down to approximately 262,000 head.
A downward trend has been seen in beef factory prices, with quotes down for the sixth week in a row.
Delays have occurred in getting cattle killed over the last two weeks and will likely continue into Easter.
Sheep and pig kill
The number of sheep slaughtered in February 2026 fell by 5.1% to 177,600 head when compared with February 2025. This represents a drop of about 9,600 head.
In January and February 2026, sheep slaughter numbers were down 3.6% to 316,000 when compared with the same period in 2025.
The pig kill in February 2026 was up 2.2% to 271,800 head compared with February 2025 and is up 2.4% to 573,000 head in the first two months of 2026 when compared with the same period in 2025.
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