Cattle prices are currently 14% higher than the equivalent value this time last year, but roughly in line with prices from two and three years ago.

On Friday, Quality Meat Scotland reported that prime slaughter numbers fell on the back of a sharp drop off in the previous week, taking them 17.7% below the year-to-date weekly average. Numbers were down by more than one fifth from the same week last year, falling by more than 10% from 2019 over the past four weeks. This suggests that the long-anticipated supply tightening may be under way.

The official AHDB price for an R4L steer this week is £3.92/kg, down 3p/kg. Abattoirs are quoting £3.80 to £3.85 for continental-bred steers of the same grade. R4L heifers dipped 3p/kg to £3.91/kg and same-grade young bulls rose 1p/kg to an official AHDB price of £3.78/kg. Cows grading O-4L dropped another 4p/kg to £2.70/kg.

The store cattle trade continues to be strong, with nearly 6,000 animals going through Scottish marts, a rise of 1,000. The national average rose by £39 to £928/head.

Meanwhile, prime lambs in the live ring continue to meet strong buying demand, dropping only 1p/kg to £2.06/kg for medium weights. Heavy lambs were making £2.04/kg, which is a rise of 2p/kg.

Marts sold just over 26,000 prime lambs in the ring, which is a fall of 1,000 compared with last week.

The UK average price published by the AHDB shows no change, with R grade lambs sitting at £4.64/kg deadweight.

There were 10,670 cull ewes sold through the ring which is a fall of just under 1,000 on the week. The price rose just over £1/head to £63.54.

There were 450 fewer store lambs sold with 37,783 going through the rings across Scotland, with a national average of £59.78. There was another big sale at Dingwall which sold over 11,000 sheep to an average of £53, down £5/head on the week. Stirling sold nearly 7,000 lambs with an average of £63/head, a rise of £1.

Thainstone sold nearly 6,000 lambs with an average of £66/head.

The highest average price for store lambs was at St Boswells Mart which averaged £72/head.

Across Scotland, continental and Suffolk lambs are commanding around £71/head up £4/head, while Cheviots averaged £54/head down £2/head and Blackfaces £48/head down £3/head.