Beef kill: Young bull supply down 80,000 head in 7 years in Ireland

The young bull kill at Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-approved slaughter facilities has fallen by just under 80,500 head to date this year when compared to figures from the same week of 2017. A total of 99,949 young bulls have been slaughtered this year, according to DAFM figures. In the same time period of 2017, that figure stood at 180,438. The young bull kill has been in decline over the past number of years, as more farmers opt for steer beef finishing systems. There are a number of reasons for the drift away from bull beef systems, but the point is often raised that more focus on bull beef would help the sector to reduce the average slaughter age nationally. Despite this, the fact remains that many of the key Irish markets have a preference for steer beef over bull beef. Most beef processors in Ireland are reluctant to actively encourage suppliers into bull beef systems, but are generally happy to deal with farmers who are willing to meet the required ...