AHDB: Beef and lamb Q1 production update
Prime cattle slaughter for Q1 of 2025 fell by 14,000 head (2.6%) compared to the first 3 months of 2024, to total 508,000 head. The latest cattle population data from BCMS showed fewer animals available for beef, indicating tightness in the supply pipeline, which is starting to be reflected in these lower kill numbers. For the same period, average prime carcase weights were slightly down compared to January to March 2024, with a decrease of 1.5kg on average.
Cull cow slaughter fell year-on-year in the first 3 months of 2025 to 155,000 head, down 6,000 head (4.0%). This could be a consequence of favourable milk price to feed ratios in recent months, encouraging cow retention for milk production and therefore reducing available supplies.
Lamb
The latest Defra data has shown UK sheep meat production for the first 3 months of this year totalled 65,600 tonnes, representing a fall of 3,100 tonnes compared to the same period in 2024 (4.5%). With weather and disease challenges in the lambing season in 2024, it is likely that the smaller 2024 lamb crop will have put downward pressure on available supply.
Slaughter of clean sheep for the same period totalled 2.77m head, a decline of 111,000 head (3.8%) compared to the first 3 months of 2024.
Adult sheep slaughter continues to be behind last year’s levels, down 46,000 head (12.8%) to 317,000 head for the first 3 months of 2025.
It is important to note the alignment of religious holidays, coupled with strong demand incentivised by retailer promotions, drove high prices over this period last year, potentially pushing kill numbers higher. In contrast, we have seen weaker retail demand so far in 2025 and a later Easter, likely contributing to smaller kill numbers in the year so far.
Clean sheep carcase weights remained relatively stable for the start of 2025 averaging 20.6kg, compared to an average of 20.4kg for the first 3 months of 2024. This also represents relatively little change from the average carcass weights for January to March over the past 5 years, sitting at 20.4kg as well
It is interesting to note the uplift in carcase weights in March of 2025, up 0.8kg on the month to sit at 21.2kg. This is likely reflective of a higher carryover of old-season lambs, with these heavier lambs widely reported in the markets.
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