Scary’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘frightening’, ‘never seen the like of it’, ‘bonkers’, ‘where will it all end?’, are all words and phrases that have been used in general chat about the cattle trade in the last few weeks.
It’s been a long time since there was so much positivity around suckler farming and beef farming and long may it continue.
For as long as I can remember, suckling and – beef farming in general – has been the poor relation when compared to other enterprises but the last 12 months have changed the dynamic to a more positive outlook.
However, it’s not all good news and high cattle prices are starting to cause some headaches, particularly for winter finishers venturing out into an unrecognisable store cattle market compared to this time 12 months ago.
The difference
Store cattle prices are up €1,000/head compared to this time last year, and you might say finished beef prices are up to the same amount.
They are today, but they weren’t back in March and April when winter finishers were emptying sheds. Filling a shed with 100 store bullocks is now costing close to €300,000, some €100,000 more than 12 months ago. When you add in the cost of finishing, the 100-bullock winter finisher is looking at an outlay of €350,000 this year when all costs are counted.
We’ve seen a mass exodus from winter finishing over the last 10 years with the smaller operators opting out due to the high level of risk and non-existent margins. Processors left these finishers fall out of the system in favour of their larger suppliers and it’s now a ‘big boy’s game’.
You can’t blame the smaller finisher for getting out. The risk was just too high to take with no guarantee from a factory on price. Year after year, the market hasn’t delivered a price rise in the spring when costs are higher and it’s needed.
The exodus of the smaller finisher has left factories more exposed in terms of supplies at the moment with all processors now scrambling for stock and courting the larger players for supplies. Even some of those are currently doing the sums on feeding cattle with more than a few thinking hard about feeding anything at all this winter.
No guarantee
High volumes of live exports have left top-quality store cattle in short supply, and with that, the price has increased. Supply and demand have dictated the store price, but the questions are being asked as to what carrots processors will pull out of their hats to convince the big feeders to feed on.
They need cattle, but the money involved now requires more than a wink or a promise. Some would even go so far as to say that if factories want cattle, they are going to have to come to the table with some of the capital required to de-risk the winter finishing business. It’s a dangerous precedent giving the factory even more control but one that might have to happen for some if they are to keep going.
Asking a bank for €350,000 to finish 100 bullocks with no guarantee of what they will be worth in six months’ time is getting more and more difficult.
Table 1 outlines the costs associated with finishing a 550kg bullock purchased in September 2025 and finished in February 2026. Store prices have increased along with costs leaving and big increase of €1/kg needed between now and next March for winter finishers.
Winter finishing has been a loss-making exercise in all years bar 2024 where a 76c/kg margin was achieved.
In short:
The price of 550kg stores has gone from €3.12/kg in September 2024 to €5.05/kg in September 2025 up by €1,061/head in the last 12 months.The price of a finished carcass weighing 413kg has gone from €5.31/kg in September 2024 to €7.97/kg in September 2025 up by €1,061/head in the last 12 months.The price needed to achieve a €150/head margin to cover labour and other costs is coming in at €8.83/kg. This is based on a 413kg carcase.Contracts for smaller finishers are non-existent with factories keeping contracts for a select number of larger finishers.
Scary’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘frightening’, ‘never seen the like of it’, ‘bonkers’, ‘where will it all end?’, are all words and phrases that have been used in general chat about the cattle trade in the last few weeks.
It’s been a long time since there was so much positivity around suckler farming and beef farming and long may it continue.
For as long as I can remember, suckling and – beef farming in general – has been the poor relation when compared to other enterprises but the last 12 months have changed the dynamic to a more positive outlook.
However, it’s not all good news and high cattle prices are starting to cause some headaches, particularly for winter finishers venturing out into an unrecognisable store cattle market compared to this time 12 months ago.
The difference
Store cattle prices are up €1,000/head compared to this time last year, and you might say finished beef prices are up to the same amount.
They are today, but they weren’t back in March and April when winter finishers were emptying sheds. Filling a shed with 100 store bullocks is now costing close to €300,000, some €100,000 more than 12 months ago. When you add in the cost of finishing, the 100-bullock winter finisher is looking at an outlay of €350,000 this year when all costs are counted.
We’ve seen a mass exodus from winter finishing over the last 10 years with the smaller operators opting out due to the high level of risk and non-existent margins. Processors left these finishers fall out of the system in favour of their larger suppliers and it’s now a ‘big boy’s game’.
You can’t blame the smaller finisher for getting out. The risk was just too high to take with no guarantee from a factory on price. Year after year, the market hasn’t delivered a price rise in the spring when costs are higher and it’s needed.
The exodus of the smaller finisher has left factories more exposed in terms of supplies at the moment with all processors now scrambling for stock and courting the larger players for supplies. Even some of those are currently doing the sums on feeding cattle with more than a few thinking hard about feeding anything at all this winter.
No guarantee
High volumes of live exports have left top-quality store cattle in short supply, and with that, the price has increased. Supply and demand have dictated the store price, but the questions are being asked as to what carrots processors will pull out of their hats to convince the big feeders to feed on.
They need cattle, but the money involved now requires more than a wink or a promise. Some would even go so far as to say that if factories want cattle, they are going to have to come to the table with some of the capital required to de-risk the winter finishing business. It’s a dangerous precedent giving the factory even more control but one that might have to happen for some if they are to keep going.
Asking a bank for €350,000 to finish 100 bullocks with no guarantee of what they will be worth in six months’ time is getting more and more difficult.
Table 1 outlines the costs associated with finishing a 550kg bullock purchased in September 2025 and finished in February 2026. Store prices have increased along with costs leaving and big increase of €1/kg needed between now and next March for winter finishers.
Winter finishing has been a loss-making exercise in all years bar 2024 where a 76c/kg margin was achieved.
In short:
The price of 550kg stores has gone from €3.12/kg in September 2024 to €5.05/kg in September 2025 up by €1,061/head in the last 12 months.The price of a finished carcass weighing 413kg has gone from €5.31/kg in September 2024 to €7.97/kg in September 2025 up by €1,061/head in the last 12 months.The price needed to achieve a €150/head margin to cover labour and other costs is coming in at €8.83/kg. This is based on a 413kg carcase.Contracts for smaller finishers are non-existent with factories keeping contracts for a select number of larger finishers. 
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