The number of cattle processed in NI abattoirs last week was the highest since November 2024, with 11,206 animals slaughtered.
It is the third week in a row that the kill has been over 10,000 head and with big numbers also coming forward in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) farmgate beef prices have come under pressure.
Locally, most quotes being offered for clean cattle are down 2 to 4p/kg, with factory agents warning that further price drops are inevitable.
Since the start of September, nearly 30p/kg has been added to prices paid for clean cattle in NI as good demand and tight supplies put upward momentum into the trade. However, beef stocks are now replenished and factories maintain they are unable to extract sufficient value to sustain prices to farmers.
There are also reports that some major UK retailers have increased shelf space given over to beef from ROI. In one particular case, sources indicate that well over 50% of its offering is now ROI beef.
The latest official figures are for August 2026 when the UK imported 12,198t of fresh and frozen Irish beef, up over 10% on the same month in 2025.
However, those tonnages moving across the Irish Sea are understood to be up significantly since then.
The main driver of that is a large price gap which has opened up this year.
This time last year, tight supplies in ROI brought prices which were equally matched with those in Britain.
The difference between prices in ROI and Britain has gradually increased as 2026 has progressed, however.
In the week-ending 24 October, the price gap for an R3 steer was at its widest point of the year at 88.7p/kg.
On a 380kg animal it is a difference of £337.
