Between January and June 2026, 6.02 million cattle were slaughtered, almost 9% fewer than the 6.61 million processed during the first half of 2025. Steers recorded the sharpest decline, with slaughter falling nearly 18%, twice the overall average. They were followed by cows and heifers, both down 9%, while young steers, the largest category, declined 8%.
Females represented 47.1% of total slaughter during the first half of the year, unchanged from the same period of 2025.
Export-oriented meatpackers grouped in the ABC Consortium accounted for 38.8% of total slaughter between January and June.
On a rolling 12-month basis, cow slaughter has fallen to its lowest level in the past four years.
