The rise in Irish R3 steer prices for the week ending 15 December of 7c/kg to 348c/kg has closed the gap with the EU average to 15c/kg.

It is a similar story with R3 heifer prices which increased by 8c/kg in Ireland over the previous week to 358c/kg, which reduced the gap with the EU average to 12c/kg.

It is prices in the north, however, that grab the headlines, with both R3 steers and heifers the top price in the EU.

NI steers

Northern Irish R3 steers averaged the equivalent of 402c/kg last week, which was 4c/kg ahead of Britain and 2c/kg better than Sweden.

It was a similar story with R3 heifers, with the Northern Ireland price the equivalent of 401c/kg, the same as Sweden and 5c/kg better than Britain.

Sweden continues to be the leader in the cow trade with O3 cows averaging the equivalent of 366c/kg, followed by France on 296c/kg and Northern Ireland on the equivalent of 295c/kg.

Irish O3 cow prices improved slightly to 262c/kg, the same as Spain.

Italy

Italian R3 young bull prices have been falling in recent weeks and last week the R3 young bull price dropped to 350c/kg. Their R3 heifer price is holding well at 377c/kg, though this is 6c/kg below Spain on 383c/kg and 10c/kg worse than France on 377c/kg.

EU average prices last week were the same as the week before at 364c/kg for R3 young bull and 370/kg for R3 heifers.