There has been a surge in the number of finishing units slaughtering thousands of cattle annually, Irish Farmers Journal analysis has revealed.

Seventeen finishing units slaughtered over 5,000 cattle each in 2024.

The number of units finishing between 3,000 and 5,000 cattle almost doubled between 2022 and 2024, rising from 14 units in 2022 to 25 units last year.

Many of these large finishing units are factory-aligned or factory-owned, and their stock numbers far exceed the average number of 38 cattle slaughtered per finisher herd.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the number of farmers finishing up to 25 cattle continues to decline. Last year there were 15,176 fewer farmers finishing up to 25 cattle compared to 2012.

Ceased slaughtering

Department of Agriculture data confirms that almost 14,000 farmers have ceased slaughtering cattle in the last 12 years.

Many of these smaller finishers are now opting to sell cattle in marts as opposed to selling directly to factories.

A record 206,000 head of cattle have been slaughtered from controlled finishing units in 2025, up from 190,000 head for the same period in 2024. They accounted for 28% of the national kill up to 30 May 2025.

It comes as Teagasc National Farm Survey data, published this week, shows that the average cattle finishing income was €18,101 last year, up from €14,735 the previous year.