The long-term influence on the beef schedule from the Mycoplasma bovis cull is not expected to be significant, Rabobank New Zealand's animal proteins analyst Blake Holgate says.
On Monday, the Government and industry announced phased eradication would go ahead, with a further 126,000 cattle to be culled over the next one to two years.
Given the number of cattle being culled represented only about 5% of New Zealand's annual beef slaughter, and the cull was occurring over a prolonged period, the negative impact on prices should be limited when compared to external factors, such as export market demand, Mr Holgate said.
However, if the bulk of the culling happened to coincide with either a seasonal influx from the beef industry, or adverse weather conditions, then a more substantial bearing on prices would be expected.
Rabobank's latest beef quarterly report said supply pressure was growing in global beef markets due to dry weather conditions in the United States, a surplus of animal protein in Brazil and changes in live cattle trade out of Australia.