Bullock supplies slip further behind

Marts: Bullock supplies have slipped further behind over the past month as intake dropped below the corresponding weeks last year at the meat factories.

Intake to mid-August is 9% lower than for the same period last year, resulting in a drop of over 43,000 head in the number of animals slaughtered at the export plants around the country. Up to early July the supply was back 8% on last year.

Supplies of heifers have also slipped further behind and were almost 10% back on 2004 at mid-August, which amounts to a drop of 23,000 head after an increase of 1% in the decline since early July.