The beef price gap between Ireland and the UK continues to grow, with a current gap of just over €250/head on a 390kg carcase.

The latest price report from Bord Bia shows the average price of an R3 bullock slaughtered in Ireland is at €5.26/kg incl VAT compared with a UK price of €5.91/kg incl VAT. This is a gap of 65c/kg or €253/head.

The R3 young bull price comes in at €5.20/kg, which is 4c/kg behind the Irish bullock price.

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Bord Bia’s beef price tracker shows the Irish beef price lagging behind the export benchmark price by 10c/kg for the week ending 25 June 2023.

More cuts

Irish factories have moved to apply more cuts to quotes this week, with many processors applying a 5c/kg cut to both bullocks and heifers booked in for killing this week.

Bullocks are working off a base of €4.80/kg to €4.85/kg, while heifers are being quoted at €4.90/kg to €4.95/kg.

The cow trade is also very variable, with P+3+ cows being quoted at €3.80/kg to €3.85/kg this week.

R grading cows are being quoted from €4.20/kg to €4.30/kg, depending on the factory, while O grading cows are working off quotes of €4.10/kg to €4.20/kg.

U grading cows are being quoted at €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg this week.

There are some reports of factories shying away from lighter, poorly-fleshed cows or at least trying to buy them a lot less than covered cows.

Appetite remains firm for well-fleshed cows, with NI agents buying for wholesalers also very active in the last week on the hunt for well-fleshed heavy cows.

Bulls

Base prices for under-16-month bulls are coming in at €4.85/kg to €4.90/kg.

Young under-24-month bull quotes are also under pressure, with U grading bulls now back at €5.00/kg to €5.10/kg.

R grading under-24-month bulls are being quoted at €4.95/kg to €5.05/kg, with O grading bulls back at €4.80/kg to €4.90/kg.

P grading under-24-month bulls are working off €4.70/kg to €4.80/kg this week.

There’s an increasing number of bull finishers finding it difficult to market bulls in the last three or four weeks, with some factories that have had no problems processing bulls in the past suddenly having an issue with taking bulls.