New figures obtained by Agriland from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that as of November 2022, there are currently 374 Controlled Finishing Units (CFUs) or ‘feedlots’ in Ireland.
DAFM data also indicated that as of November 3, 2022, there were approximately 121,000 animals in CFUs. It can be therefore estimated that the average CFU has a herd size of 324 cattle.
The data comes as DAFM figures indicate that in the first nine months of this year, 308,500 cattle from CFUs were slaughtered at EU approved plants.
Beef kill numbers at EU approved slaughter plants originating in Controlled Finishing Units:
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20,000 | 24,000 | 28,000 | 25,000 | 25,500 | 28,500 |
| February | 20,000 | 24,500 | 26,000 | 27,000 | 25,500 | 35,000 |
| March | 21,500 | 24,500 | 27,000 | 27,000 | 28,500 | 36,000 |
| April | 19,500 | 26,000 | 29,000 | 20,000 | 28,000 | 35,500 |
| May | 25,000 | 29,000 | 31,000 | 22,500 | 28,500 | 40,000 |
| June | 24,500 | 27,500 | 25,500 | 26,500 | 32,000 | 35,500 |
| July | 19,500 | 24,500 | 26,000 | 26,500 | 30,500 | 34,000 |
| August | 20,000 | 21,500 | 20,000 | 21,000 | 25,500 | 32,000 |
| September | 18,500 | 18,500 | 13,000 | 22,000 | 25,500 | 32,000 |
| October | 20,500 | 23,500 | 21,500 | 24,000 | 27,000 | |
| November | 28,500 | 26,500 | 20,000 | 27,500 | 31,500 | |
| December | 25,500 | 25,000 | 21,500 | 30,000 | 33,000 | |
| Total | 263,000 | 295,000 | 288,500 | 299,000 | 341,000 | 308,500 |
As the table above indicates, this year’s supply of finished cattle from CFUs has increased by 59,000 cattle from the 249,500 cattle slaughtered from CFUs in the same time period last year.
What is a Controlled Finishing Unit?
As part of Ireland’s Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme, if a beef finishing herd meets the necessary criteria, it is allowed to avail of a special status, known as a Controlled Finishing Unit (CFU).
A CFU herd is a specialised finisher of beef that does not deliberately engage in the active breeding of animals. It is a non-breeding herd which disposes of all cattle on the holding direct for slaughter and poses a minimal risk of infecting cattle on adjacent holdings.
To be considered eligible for CFU status, the holding must fulfill at least one of the following three criteria:
- The cattle are permanently housed (never on pasture) or;
- There are no contiguous holdings with cattle or;
- The boundaries are walled, double fenced or equivalent so as to prevent any direct contact with cattle on contiguous holdings.
When a herd meets the criteria to be regarded as a CFU under the bovine TB Eradication Programme, the herd is restricted under the TB Regulations and a special official supervisory and testing protocol is established.
Such herds are not exempt from testing, reactor removal or disinfection requirements. Restricted CFU herds (feedlots) are TB tested at least once a year.
According to DAFM, the CFU status arrangement allows the delivery of an effective level of disease risk management while controlling the risk of further disease spread in compliance with animal health legislation, and enabling business continuity in this particular type of enterprise through the inward movement of cattle.
Cattle from CFU herds (feedlots) restricted under the TB Eradication programme are only permitted to move to an EU approved slaughter plant and may not be exported.
