Factories are trying to apply some pressure to the beef trade this week, with several processors trying to hold out bullock quotes to €7.50/kg.

This would be back 10c/kg on the previous week for many.

Farmers are reporting that €7.60/kg base price is being paid when pressure is applied, but this may not be as forthcoming next week, with agents pointing to a hard stop at anything beyond €7.50/kg.

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Heifers have generally escaped the cuts, with €7.70/kg available in lots of outlets this week.

There have even been heifers bought at €7.80/kg base price over the last few days, but the higher prices are being reserved for those with numbers and those who are killing cattle on a weekly basis.

Some agents are sending mixed messages to finishers killing half loads of cattle this week and killing the remainder the following week.

Weather is playing into factories’ hands a little, with a lot of farmers choosing to offload cattle over the last week as opposed to housing them.

With the vast majority of cattle housed at this stage, this pressure won’t be there for the next few weeks.

Breed bonuses of 30c/kg are still available for in-spec Aberdeen Angus bullocks and heifers.

Flat prices are still on the table, with €8/kg along with haulage being paid for in-spec Aberdeen Angus heifers this week.

Bulls

The bull trade also hasn’t escaped the price pressure this week, with quotes back 10c/kg across most grades. Some regular suppliers have escaped the cuts.

The going rate being offered for R and U grades is in the region of €7.60/kg to €7.70/kg, while P and O grading bulls are getting €7.40/kg to €7.50/kg.

The cow kill rose by almost 500 head last week, a combination of increased numbers and reduced demand putting some pressure on cow quotes.

Agents are a little less anxious for cows this week, with most processors now concentrating on prime beef in the run-up to the big lift in supermarket sales pre-Christmas. Quotes in general are back 10c to 20c/kg this week.

Good O grading cows with flesh are making €7.10/kg, with the small number of quality R grading cows easily making €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg in the factory and some spectacular prices are being paid in the marts for these good cows.

U grading cows are still trading for as high as €7.50/kg in some locations.

Last week’s kill came in at 31,382 head, with all categories seeing a lift in numbers last week.

Young bulls rose by just over 400 head, with bullocks seeing a similar rise to 12,912 head.

Cows also increased by just over 400 head, with heifers increasing by just over 300 head.

The cow kill has seen the biggest fall-off looking at the year-to-date numbers, with just over 70,000 fewer cows killed in 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.

UK prices

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board in the UK reported an increase in beef prices across the water last week, with beef quotes seeing price rises of between 3p and 7p/kg inside seven days.

R4L bullocks are coming in around 668p/kg (€8.00/kg incl VAT).

A slight correction in the exchange rate over the last few days to 88p/€1 has weakened the Irish hand a little in the UK.

Reducing supplies of beef around the world is good news for an exporting nation suich as Ireland and the current trend of tighter supplies looks set to continue well into 2026.

NI comment

Beef quotes continue to move in a positive direction north of the border this week, with quotes up 2p to 4p on the previous week.

Quotes of 660p/kg (€7.88/kg incl VAT) are freely available for those with numbers to sell this week.