Pressure continues to be applied to the beef trade this week, with quotes dropping another 10c/kg in most locations.

Bullocks are now working off a base price of €6.40/kg, while heifers are working off a base price of €6.50/kg.

Breed bonuses are generally being paid out at 10c to 20c/kg for in-spec Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle.

There’s a varying degree of activity among agents, with some farmers reporting delays in getting cattle killed, especially in the northwest of the country. This is pushing out to two weeks in some cases, with some factories slow to quote.

The Irish beef price continues to lag behind the Bord Bia beef export tracker price by over 40c/kg. Ireland is also trailing a lot of other EU countries for beef price at the moment, with the latest information showing Italian young bulls coming in at €8.12/kg this week. French young bulls are being quoted at €7.60/kg this week, almost €1/kg ahead of the Irish price.

Cows

R grading cows are being priced at €6.25/kg to €6.30/kg. U grading cows are generally now being bought at €6.30/kg to €6.40/kg, with higher prices going to regular cow sellers and specialist feeders.

O grading cows are being bought for €6.00/kg to €6.10/kg. P+3 cows are coming in at €5.80/kg to 5.90/kg, with some factories quoting lower for very light cows.

Bulls

R grading bulls are coming in at €6.60/kg, with U grading bulls being quoted at €6.70/kg. There are a number of operators able to get €6.70/kg for mixtures of R and U grading bulls.

O grading bulls are working off an all-in price of €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg, while P grading bulls are being quoted at €6.30/kg to €6.40/kg, depending on weight and flesh cover.

Over-age bulls are generally working off a price of €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg, depending on grades and flesh cover. Under-16-month bulls are working off a €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg base price on the grid.