The beef sector of Irish agriculture, like all others, kept functioning in 2020 despite the unprecedented disruption caused by a global pandemic over a prolonged period.

In a review of prices paid to farmers by factories over the year, it is clear that those with strong direct links to the supermarket sector performed best.

As well as supermarkets being able to function with relative normality and enhanced business, the burger chains were also able to operate, though with restrictions.

This kept the demand strong from that sector. The biggest losers were those that were focused on supplying the catering and hospitality trade, which was seriously disrupted globally in 2020.

The biggest gaps in prices paid between the highest- and lowest-paying factories for prime beef are in the U=3= young bull category

The factory leagues cover 16 of the most common categories of cattle that are presented by Irish farmers to factories for processing each year. These include the grades U=3=,R=3=, O=3= and P+3= for steers, heifers, young bulls and cows. The biggest gaps in prices paid between the highest- and lowest-paying factories for prime beef are in the U=3= young bull category, where the gap is 37.2c/kg.

On a young bull weighing just over 400kg, this would amount to €150 per head. There is a similar spread on the rare U=3=cow, where the gap is 38.5c/kg.

Applies across all grades

These are the most extreme examples but there was a large spread of prices paid by Irish factories for prime beef across all grades in 2020.

The R3 grade is the most popular and the R3 steer is taken as the reference animal for Irish beef (it is the R3 young bull in continental Europe).

In this category, the gap was 24.7c/kg in 2020, which means farmers killing the most popular grade stood to gain or lose €100 per head depending on which factory they killed it in.

The gap was similar on R3 heifers at 23.7c/kg but significantly higher on R3 young bulls at 24.7c/kg. The smallest gap between factories was for plain cows at 13.7c/kg.

Kepak Clare is excluded from the leagues this year as it ceased production in 2020 while the Traditional Meat Company has been added.

Note of caution

When analysing the tables of prices paid by factories in 2020, it is important to remember that some factories, especially in the groups, specialise in one category of animal over another and will pay accordingly. Also note at the extreme ends of the scale such as U=3= grading cows, numbers are exceptionally small with some factories killing none at all.