Winter finishers continue to reel from persistent beef price cuts, with base quotes for bullocks dropping by a further 10c/kg to €6.30-€6.40/kg this week.

Heifer quotes have dropped to €6.40-€6.50/kg. Finishers are currently staring at losses of €500-€600/head on autumn 2025 purchases of store cattle. While Irish beef prices surged by 39% in 2025 to an average price of €7.51/kg, prices are now €1/kg behind the 2025 figures and have dropped 61c/kg since the beginning of January. Factories are pointing to the perfect storm of reduced consumer demand, cheaper poultry and pork competition, and increased pressure from cheaper beef imports in markets such as the UK.

Meat Industry Ireland was hauled before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture on Wednesday to explain the current situation in relation to beef prices.

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Chair of Meat Industry Ireland, Philip Carroll told the committee that the UK market has shifted.

“Historically, Ireland provided nearly 80% of UK beef imports. Following the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand free trade agreements, and growth in Brazilian imports, Ireland’s market share fell to 67% in 2025. Australian beef imports into the UK have surged by over 400%, offering a significantly lower cost alternative to Irish grass-fed beef,” he said.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off in the USA on 11 June and demand for manufacturing beef for burgers is expected to rise during the month-long tournament in participating countries like England, and a number of Ireland’s key export markets across Europe. This, coupled with better barbecue weather, should help add stability to markets.