Factories have moved to apply some pressure to the trade this week, with quotes levelling off in a lot of factories.

Factories are rolling out the three- or four-day shortened week kill for the next two weeks, when in reality a lot of them are only killing three or four days anyway.

The general run of this week’s quotes is €7.60/kg to €7.70/kg base price for bullocks and €7.70/kg to €7.80/kg base price for heifers.

Higher prices are still on the table for larger finishers and regular customers. Some factories are trying to buy bullocks at a €7.50/kg base price, but are getting very few cattle at that money.

There are still heifers being sold this week at an €8/kg base price on the back of deals done last week.

The higher flat prices that were available two to three weeks ago are a little harder to come by this week, with some factories moving away from flat pricing in the last week and forcing finishers back on the grid.

That said, I have still heard of flat prices of €8.30/kg being paid for Aberdeen Angus heifers this week, with demand being good for traditionally bred heifers.

The Irish beef price has crept above some of our main trading partners in the EU in the last few weeks, but the UK market remains very strong.

Within the industry, there is a concern around supplies for May. Young bulls usually shored up the kill at this time of year, but, taking factory instructions, farmers have walked away from bulls.

There is an expectation that the May lull in supply will stabilise prices and could even see more rises if the UK market keeps on climbing.

Cows

Cows continue to trade at very steady prices, with €7.20/kg to €7.25/kg on the table for well-fleshed R grading cows in the south of the country and €7.30/kg where bigger numbers are involved.

U grading cows are up to €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg, with O grading suckler cows trading from €7.00/kg to €7.05/kg in some factories.

O grading dairy cows are being quoted at €6.80/kg to €6.90/kg. P+3 cows are working off €6.50/kg to €6.60/kg, depending on weight, age, flesh and numbers, with €6.70/kg paid to large feeders.

Bulls

Under-24-month bulls are still working off €7.60/kg to €7.80/kg for U grading bulls and higher where larger numbers are involved.

Flat prices as high as €7.90/kg are still being paid to some larger suppliers for mixes of U and R grading bulls.

R grading bulls are at €7.40/kg to €7.50/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought at €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg.

Kill numbers

Last week’s kill came in at 35,498, about 700 head back on last week’s kill. This year’s kill is still running just under 25,000 head over and above was killed during the same period in 2024.

A lot of agents are reporting a lot more cattle kept inside during the last two months and finished and this has driven up numbers.

Looking further afield, the prospects of a USA-China trade war is looking more likely and all eyes will be on Australia and how its beef price unfolds as part of this.

The USA is China’s third-largest beef supplier and already China has moved to restrict imports of USA beef.

Instead it has turned its attention to Australian beef, with a resultant uplift in prices in the last few weeks.

Australia is also the USA’s largest beef supplier, so both should negate the risk of higher volumes of beef coming to the UK market, which is good news for Ireland.

NI comment

Base quotes have kicked on in Northern Ireland again this week, with 686p (€8.38/kg incl VAT) now available for U3 animals on the back of big demand for finished cattle.