Beef price is in a good position, with base prices for bullocks at €6.70/kg to €6.90/kg earlier in the week, with heifers 10c/kg above this.

All this is despite strong numbers of cattle coming to the factory gates, with the weekly beef kill last week being 34,504 head, some 7,089 higher than the same week last year.

Last week, we reported that we were 31,036 head behind the same period last year in our slaughter figures, with this being shortened to 23,947 in just a single week.

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Numbers passing through marts are increasing rapidly week on week as well, with weanling sales in full flight, while store beef cattle are coming more to the fore as the soft, lush grass seems to be disappearing at a rapid rate on some farms.

Despite this positivity and increases in factory prices, it’s failed to materialise in heifer prices ringside.

Heavy heifers are only up 2c/kg this week, having fallen 17c/kg last week, meaning that despite base quotes in factories being stronger than they were two weeks ago, we are still 15c/kg behind in price in marts.

Are factory agents calling more to farmers’ yards than they are to mart rings? Mart managers still point to agents being active, but some of the better-quality cattle seem to be destined for Northern Ireland, with managers noting a consistent demand from these buyers over the last few weeks.

Bullocks are more positive. Looking at the MartBids table, all classes and weights of bullocks are up or have stayed firm, with heavy bullocks having risen by 9c/kg to just leave 2c/kg between them and heavy heifers.

However, travelling down the weight band and a bigger disparity emerges between the sexes. Bullocks weighing 350kg to 400kg this week traded at €3.94/kg on average, with their heifer counterparts 21c/kg behind this, a difference of circa €80 for the same weight animal.

Weanlings

In the weanling rings, trade has held extremely steady, with slight increases in price seen across nearly all quality and weights for bulls, with lighter bulls getting a much-needed lift this week.

Prices are trailing approximately 40c/kg of an average behind the same week last year, leaving a 350kg weanling €140 less than in 2025, a lower number than many people would believe.

Farmer buyer activity continues to be strong for both bull and heifer weanlings grading R and U-, with exporters vying for the top-end lots consistently.

A greater price difference is seen when we look at these top third of cattle in 2026 versus 2025.

This week, the top third of 300kg to 400kg bulls averaged €5.65/kg, up 10c/kg on last week.

The same week last year, the same bull was trading at €6.49/kg, a difference of 84c/kg. The same 350kg weanling we talked about above is now back €294 on last year’s price, which farmers producing these top-end calves have been feeling.

On the cow front, averages are up 7c/kg to leave cows trading to an average of €2.94/kg.

The top and bottom third of cows traded at €3.64/kg and €2.14/kg respectively.