Beef & Sheep Update 16th June
Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden has called on the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to announce the details of the BEEP-s replacement scheme for suckler farmers. In last year’s Budget, the Minister committed to a €90/cow scheme to run alongside the new SCEP, but farmers have heard nothing on this scheme since. The Minister must now honour that and ensure the new scheme provides an additional €90/cow for all cows that farmers apply on. “The scheme must be easy to implement on farm with compliance costs kept to a minimum to ensure the supports remain with suckler farmers,” he said.
“The needs of suckler farmers for meaningful direct supports is evident from the level of applications to the SCEP. The BEEP-s replacement scheme is an integral part of these supports to address the continual decline in suckler cow numbers,” he said. The IFA Livestock Chairman has urged the Minister for Agriculture to come forward with the details of the scheme to provide clarity for suckler farmers on the supports available to them for this year and the actions they will be required to carry out on farm.
Beef Price Update 15/06/2023
Base Quotes Steer €5.05/5.15kg. Heifers €5.10/5.20kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €5.00/5.30Kg. Cows €4.30/4.80kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 23 (11.06.2023)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 3,380 | ▼-70 | 11% | 60,238 | ▼-8,462 |
| Bull | 725 | ▲89 | 2% | 12,266 | ▼-284 |
| Steer | 10,980 | ▼-799 | 35% | 274,037 | ▼-9,865 |
| Cow | 7,828 | ▲326 | 25% | 171,826 | ▼-7,574 |
| Heifer | 8,477 | ▼-174 | 27% | 218,906 | ▼-8,809 |
| Veal-V | 0 | ▼-5 | 0% | 30,387 | ▲2,511 |
| Veal-Z | 12 | ▼-24 | 0% | 958 | ▼-18 |
| Total | 31,402 | ▼-657 | 100% | 768,618 | ▼-32,501 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 23 (11.06.2023)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 551 | ▼-3 | 540 | ▼-4 | 526 | ▼-39 | 492 | ▼-3 |
| Heifers | 563 | ▼-2 | 545 | ▼-3 | 532 | ▼-4 | 483 | ▼-3 |
| Y Bulls | 538 | ▼-10 | 525 | ▼-7 | 505 | ▼-1 | 485 | ▼-9 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 477 | ▼-7 | 442 | ▼-3 | 426 | ▼-4 |
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 |
| 03/06/2023 | 496.6 | 500.7 | 495.3 | 499.7 | 492.1 | 493.2 | 411.9 |
| 10/06/2023 | 493.9 | 498.0 | 486.9 | 492.6 | 496.7 | 486.0 | 487.4 |
| Change | ▼-3 | ▼-3 | ▼-3 | ▼-3 | ▼-5 | ▼-6 | ▲1 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 613.6 | 618.7 | 612.0 | 617.1 | 605.5 | 604.8 | 512.7 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 29.05.2021 | 28.05.2022 | 03.06.2023 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 3.83 | € 4.98 | € 4.90 |
| IE + Steers | € 4.13 | € 5.26 | € 5.19 |
| UK + Steers | € 4.60 | € 5.19 | € 5.67 |
Live Exports W/C 05.06.2023
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said the removal of the residency period from the export criteria for sheep for direct slaughter within the EU removes a major obstacle from the trade. It means exporters can now compete for finished lambs in mart sales, which will add vital competition to the trade. He said this change comes at a time when live export demand for sheep is increasing in line with previous years. Of the almost 13,000 sheep exported last year, approx. 8,000 were exported between June and August coinciding with our peak supplies. The changes make live exports to continental Europe easier for live exporters and should increase numbers that will move, creating a positive impact on the trade. “The countries looking to Ireland for live exports of finished lamb include France and Spain. Reduced breeding flocks in both countries last year has increased demand for sheep meat and Ireland is ideally placed to supply them. There have also been enquiries for lamb from several other countries to fill the surge in demand for the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival,” he said.
Lamb Price Update 15/06/2023
Hogget €7.00/7.40/kg. Spr Lamb €7.80/8.10/kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.30/3.80/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 23 (11.06.2023)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 10,827 | ▼-7,546 | 947,088 | ▲65,073 |
| Spring Lambs | 28,178 | ▲2,519 | 150,707 | ▼-40,462 |
| Ewes and Rams | 4,783 | ▼-711 | 121,549 | ▼-590 |
| Light Lambs | 3 | ▲0 | 112 | ▲28 |
| TOTAL | 43,791 | ▼-5,738 | 1,219,456 | ▲24,049 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 23 (11.06.2023)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | WK 23 | Change prev wk | 2022 | Change prev yr |
| National Avg Price | 736.76 | ▼-5 | 788.66 | ▼-52 |
| YTD Avg | 671.38 | ▲3 | 714.09 | ▼-43 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 03/06/2023 | 707.3 | 709.1 | New season lamb |
| 10/06/2023 | 672.3 | 673.6 | New season lamb |
| Change | ▼-35 | ▼-36 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 835.2 | 836.8 |
Live Sheep Exports 01.04.2023
