UK deadweight prime cattle prices have fallen again, a development market specialists Eblex attribute to market fundamentals continuing to prove unfavourable for producers and processors exerting downwards pressure.

In week ended 25 April the rate of decline showed no signs of slowing down and the GB all prime average fell by another 3p on the week to 336.3p/kg. The all prime average has now fallen 25p since the turn of the year and is only around 5p/kg ahead of the five-year (2010-2014) average.

Steers and heifers meeting R4L specification both came back 4p on the week earlier to 346.8p/kg and 345.0p/kg respectively while young bull prices actually increased. R3 young bulls were a penny dearer at 327.2p/kg.

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Eblex says that with Irish prices remaining relatively stable against falling UK prices, the price differential with the UK trade is fairly high in a historical context, despite the differential narrowing in recent weeks. In early March it was around 70p/kg, while more recently it is closer to 50p/kg.

This high, albeit recently narrowed differential, is likely to be adding to the pressure on the GB/UK cattle trade as the two markets attempt to move closer to each other.