Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said that prices have increased this week with heifers reaching prices of €4.30/kg to €4.45/kg in some cases. Steers are making anywhere from €4.25/kg to €4.40/kg. Young bull trade has remained steady at €4.20-€4.40/kg for R/U grades respectively. Demand for cows remains strong and prices of €3.50/kg to €4.00/kg are available.
The IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said UK supplies are extremely tight, with the weekly kill running 10% behind last years levels, creating increased demand for Irish beef.
“The EU young bull price and the UK steer price are above our current prices, creating an unacceptable and unjustified price gap of 17c/kg in the benchmark price” he said.
Beef Price Update 10/12/21
Steer Base €4.25/4.40kg. Heifers €4.30/4.45kg. Higher deals larger lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.20/4.40Kg. Cows €3.50/4.00kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 48 (29.11.2021)
| Animal | Number | Change prev. wk. | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 3,291 | ▲272 | 9% | 117,747 | ▼-9,913 |
| Bull | 488 | ▼-26 | 1% | 25,075 | ▼-5,934 |
| Steer | 11,959 | ▼-1,192 | 34% | 635,748 | ▼-15,036 |
| Cow | 9,323 | ▲668 | 26% | 327,372 | ▼-9,664 |
| Heifer | 10,228 | ▲108 | 29% | 446,230 | ▼-32,387 |
| Veal-V | 9 | ▼-35 | 0% | 20,985 | ▼-5,899 |
| Veal-Z | 57 | ▲26 | 0% | 1,534 | ▲65 |
| Total | 35,355 | ▼-179 | 100% | 1,574,691 | ▼-78,768 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 48 (29.11.2021)
| c/kg(Incl. VAT) | U3 | Changeprev wk | R3 | Changeprev wk | O3 | Changeprev wk | P+3 | Changeprev wk |
| Steers | 456 | ▲4 | 445 | ▲3 | 430 | ▲3 | 399 | ▲4 |
| Heifers | 462 | ▲4 | 450 | ▲2 | 442 | ▲3 | 393 | ▼-2 |
| Y Bulls | 438 | ▲2 | 428 | ▲2 | 414 | ▲3 | 405 | ▲5 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 393 | ▲7 | 366 | ▲3 | 348 | ▲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 |
| 27.11.2021 | 422 | 424 | 421 | 422 | 412 | 398 | 280 |
| 04.12.2021 | 418.8 | 421.2 | 411.5 | 418.1 | 420.3 | 408.2 | 410.7 |
| Change | ▼-3 | ▼-3 | ▼-3 | ▼-2 | ▼-1 | ▲2 | ▼-1 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 520.3 | 523.3 | 519.4 | 522.2 | 510.2 | 496.4 | 347.2 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 30.11.2019 | 28.11.2020 | 27.11.2021 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 3.62 | € 3.56 | € 4.37 |
| IE + Steers | € 3.42 | € 3.67 | € 4.19 |
| UK + Steers | € 3.92 | € 4.25 | € 4.94 |
Live Exports W/C 15.11.2021
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Sean Dennehy said the option for the sheep factories to use Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) must be provided to farmers who prefer to be paid this way. IFA has met MII on this issue and set out farmers’ demands to have this facility provided, but to-date no lamb processing factories are offering this option to farmers. “We are seeing more and more rural services taken away. The closure of local bank branches in towns throughout the country is making it more difficult for farmers to lodge cheques,” he said. Members of the IFA Sheep Committee contacted all of the sheep factories in the past few days. While some are more positively disposed to providing the service, none is offering the facility despite IFA raising this issue with their representative body earlier this year. Sean Dennehy said it’s not acceptable that across the sheep processing industry, this payment option is not available. He has called on all sheep processing factories to put the option in place. He said he will be formally writing to all of the sheep processing factories setting out the need to provide EFT and seeking a realistic timeframe to have this service for farmers.
Lamb Price Update 10/12/21
Lamb €7.20/7.40/kg up to €7.50/kg paid. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Weights to 23kgs. Ewes €3.10/3.50/kg. Sell hard.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 48 (29.11.2021)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 57 | ▲3 | 698012 | ▼-93,499 |
| Spring Lambs | 45902 | ▲2,807 | 1487089 | ▼-1,564 |
| Ewes and Rams | 6194 | ▲14 | 334116 | ▼-24,073 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 129 | ▲65 |
| TOTAL | 52153 | ▲2,824 | 2519346 | ▼-119,071 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 48 (29.11.2021)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | WK 48 | Change prev wk | 2020 | Changeprev yr |
| National Avg Price | 700.03 | ▲6 | 526.11 | ▲174 |
| YTD Avg | 661.10 | ▲1 | 517.85 | ▲143 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 27.11.2021 | 601.8 | 600.6 | New season |
| 04.12.2021 | 619.5 | 618.6 | New season |
| Change | ▲18 | ▲18 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 769.6 | 768.5 |
Total Live Sheep Exports 12/10/2021
