Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan led an IFA delegation meeting with DG SANTE officials to discuss the Commission’s proposed ban on animal products from Brazil starting on September 3rd.
“Our message was clear: unless Brazil can demonstrate that they meet the requirements for antibiotic usage and the AMR objectives of the EU, they should not be allowed export animal products to the EU,” he said.
IFA and the IFJ highlighted the level of unregulated antibiotic use in Brazil’s farming systems last October, traversing 3,000km across four states.
The only verifiable way to examine if a system is working is to audit it thoroughly and regularly, right down to actual farm level including all service providers, similar to the stringent standards that apply here.
IFA will continue to engage with the Commission on this matter to ensure there will not be a selective policy which fails to address the issue of AMR.
Beef Price Update 30/07/2026
Base Steer €6.50/6.60kg. Heifers €6.60/6.70kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €6.40/6.80Kg. Cows €5.90/6.50kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 30 (26.07.2026)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1815 | ▲54 | 6% | 68780 | ▼-1,349 |
| Bull | 499 | ▲28 | 2% | 14662 | ▼-24 |
| Steer | 11005 | ▲1,462 | 37% | 333611 | ▼-20,995 |
| Cow | 7703 | ▲14 | 26% | 195887 | ▼-24,597 |
| Heifer | 8499 | ▲1,123 | 29% | 278082 | ▼-29,072 |
| Veal-V | 0 | ▼-90 | 0% | 882 | ▼-1,915 |
| Veal-Z | 0 | ▼-8 | 0% | 2044 | ▲426 |
| Total | 29521 | ▲2,583 | 100% | 864427 | ▼-82,637 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 30 (26.07.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 707 | ▼-2 | 699 | ▼-2 | 691 | ▼-1 | 657 | ▼-2 |
| Heifers | 720 | ▲0 | 704 | ▲1 | 701 | ▲1 | 649 | ▼-4 |
| Y Bulls | 706 | ▲0 | 697 | ▲0 | 676 | ▲4 | 665 | ▲4 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 664 | ▼-3 | 634 | ▼-1 | 625 | ▼-2 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| Steers | Steers | Heifers | Heifers | Y bull | Y bull | Cow | |
| p/kg | R3 | R4L | R3 | R4L | R3 | R4L | -O4L |
| 18/07/2026 | 607.3 | 610.7 | 607.5 | 613.4 | 597.6 | 596.1 | 519.4 |
| 25/07/2026 | 611.4 | 614.4 | 610.8 | 614.9 | 600.4 | 600.4 | 514.8 |
| Change | ▲4 | ▲4 | ▲0 | ▲2 | ▲3 | ▲4 | ▼-5 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 750.7 | 754.4 | 750.0 | 755.0 | 737.2 | 737.2 | 632.1 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 20.07.2024 | 19.07.2025 | 18.07.2026 |
| EU + Y Bulls R3 | € 5.02 | € 6.79 | €6.36 |
| IE + Steers R3 | € 5.06 | € 7.36 | € 6.72 |
| UK + Steers R3 | € 5.77 | € 7.41 | €7.11 |
Live cattle exports 6th June
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said rebuilding the national sheep flock, particularly in hill and mountain areas, is the obvious and most effective mechanism to manage uplands and offset the threat of devastating fires on our hills.
“Abandoned and underutilised land is the single biggest issue when it comes to large scale fires in the country. Historically, farmers managed these lands through grazing livestock and controlled burning. However, flawed and poorly thought-out policies under the narrative of the green agenda have contributed to these devastating fires that have the potential to put lives at risk and force farmers and farming from the hills.”
“Our sheep sector is in serious decline, and meaningful actions are needed urgently to rebuild our output levels.
The hill sheep sector is also a significant contributor to our national breeding flock on lowland farms and in ensuring a year-round supply of lamb for processors.
Adrian Gallagher said IFA is seeking a €30/ewe payment for sheep farmers with an additional €10/ewe in hill areas, who are producing lambs.
Lamb Price Update 30/07/2026
Spring lamb €8.80/9.00kg. Weights to 22kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €5.00/5.50/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 30 (26.07.2026)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 495 | ▼-238 | 696669 | ▼-59,331 |
| Spring Lambs | 35582 | ▲3,188 | 324309 | ▼-19,979 |
| Ewes and Rams | 6768 | ▲1,520 | 146851 | ▲48,993 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 1 | ▼-111 |
| TOTAL | 42845 | ▲4,470 | 1167829 | ▲6,214 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 30 (26.07.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2025 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 873.53 | ▲3 | 784.86 | ▲89 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▲1 | 857.94 | ▼-6 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 18/07/2026 | 806.4 | 806.4 | New season Lamb |
| 25/07/2026 | 811.4 | 809.2 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▲5 | ▲3 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 996.3 | 993.6 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports
