Beef price cuts have moved ‘too far and too fast’ says Kelly

The chair of the UFU beef and lamb committee Brendan Kelly has said beef processors have moved “too far and too fast” in cutting prices.

The Randalstown farmer maintained that some finishers are now losing at least £350 per head, yet supermarket prices for beef remain unchanged.

“Beef farmers are extremely frustrated and deeply concerned at the speed and scale of recent price cuts. Prices have fallen sharply in a matter of weeks, yet farmers are still facing high fuel, fertiliser, feed, labour and energy costs. That gap is becoming impossible for many farm businesses to absorb,” he said.

He added there is a growing belief among producers that factories have now over-corrected the market after the sharp price rises seen last spring and ultimately, that is knocking confidence in the sector.

Imports

Sources in the trade maintain that sales have been slow on the back of high retail prices, with the situation not helped by UK imports of cheap product from Australia, New Zealand and Brazil.

The latest figures to the end of March 2026 show imports from each country are up 153%, 589% and 144% respectively on the same period in 2025.

Commenting on those imports, Kelly pointed out that the EU intends to ban imports of Brazilian beef amid concerns around standards.

“On the one hand, you have to question why that ban isn’t immediate, but has been put back to September 2026. You also have to wonder why there is no mention of anything similar happening in the UK. Our politicians don’t seem to care,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal.