Beef Update
IFA National Livestock Chair Brendan Golden has said that contrary to media reports today, the Food Vision Beef Group has not proposed a suckler cow exit scheme. “The document referred to in the media report today is a Department of Agriculture document. It has not been discussed with or agreed by the IFA, or any other member of the Food Vision Group,” he said. “IFA’s focus on the Food Vision Beef and Sheep Group is on supporting a viable beef and suckler sector which is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable,” he said.
“The focus of this report must be to build a sustainable suckler and beef herd in the country and reverse the decline we have witnessed, due to the lack of meaningful Government support,” the National Livestock Chair added.
IFA’s initial reaction to the potential recommendations for the sector identity the two most substantive issues to be addressed. These are the absence of any cost and production impact assessment including the carbon leakage impact of failing to appropriately support Irish suckler and beef farmers, and the level of new Government funding that is available to the suckler and beef sector to support the adoption of recommendations for the sector.
Beef Price Update 15/09/2022
Steer Base €4.80/4.85kg. Heifers €4.85/4.90kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.70/5.00Kg. Cows €4.40/4.90kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 36 (11.09.2022)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1,556 | ▲94 | 4% | 97,645 | ▲5,238 |
| Bull | 520 | ▼-41 | 1% | 20,430 | ▲1,227 |
| Steer | 17,746 | ▼-864 | 49% | 474,752 | ▲26,427 |
| Cow | 6,582 | ▼-65 | 18% | 275,113 | ▲37,170 |
| Heifer | 9,672 | ▲630 | 27% | 344,291 | ▲20,419 |
| Veal-V | 7 | ▲0 | 0% | 28,029 | ▲7,339 |
| Veal-Z | 34 | ▲17 | 0% | 1,223 | ▲70 |
| Total | 36,117 | ▼-229 | 100% | 1,241,483 | ▲97,890 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 36 (11.09.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 515 | ▼-1 | 503 | ▼-2 | 485 | ▼-3 | 454 | ▼-3 |
| Heifers | 521 | ▼-2 | 507 | ▼-2 | 495 | ▼-3 | 451 | ▼-4 |
| Y Bulls | 499 | ▼-4 | 488 | ▼-3 | 468 | ▼-3 | 451 | ▼-14 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 478 | ▲0 | 456 | ▼-2 | 442 | ▼-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 |
| 03/09/2022 | 444.1 | 446.1 | 442 | 445.5 | 434.2 | 429.6 | 372.1 |
| 10/09/2022 | 444.3 | 447.1 | 437.0 | 444.3 | 446.5 | 435.7 | 434.0 |
| Change | ▲0 | ▲1 | ▲2 | ▲1 | ▼-0 | ▲3 | ▲0 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 552.0 | 555.5 | 552.0 | 554.7 | 539.2 | 537.7 | 462.4 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 05.09.2020 | 2021 | 03.09.2022 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 3.51 | Figures | € 4.99 |
| IE + Steers | € 3.64 | Not | € 4.79 |
| UK + Steers | € 4.21 | Available | € 5.10 |
Live Exports W/C 05.09.2022
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said factory demand for suitably-finished lambs is strong and prices have risen. He said factory agents are very active over the past few days trying to secure numbers of suitably-finished lambs, with deals to 22kg available. Prices of €6.40/kg and €6.50/kg have become a lot easier to negotiate, with higher prices on offer for groups and larger lots. Cull ewes are in general moving between €3.40/kg and €3.80/kg, with some deals above these prices. “It’s a critical time of year for sheep farmers and factories must return strong viable prices to reflect production costs on farms and to ensure store lamb buyers remain active in marts,” he said. He said the lamb price in France remains strong at over €8.00/kg which provides a real opportunity for factories, particularly as large volumes of New Zealand lamb continue to be directed towards the Chinese market. Kevin Comiskey said factories are very anxious for lambs and farmers should sell hard while moving lambs when fit.
Lamb Price Update 15/09/2022
Lamb €6.10/6.50/kg to 22kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.40/3.70/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 36 (11.09.2022)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 1,511 | ▲711 | 896,892 | ▲200,246 |
| Spring Lambs | 45,637 | ▼-9,470 | 823,757 | ▼-81,936 |
| Ewes and Rams | 13,557 | ▲2,546 | 237,932 | ▲4,871 |
| Light Lambs | 4 | ▲4 | 111 | ▼-6 |
| TOTAL | 60,709 | ▼-6,209 | 1,958,692 | ▲123,175 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 36 (11.09.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | WK 36 | Changeprev wk | 2021 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 609.63 | ▼-6 | 607.04 | ▲3 |
| YTD Avg | 702.39 | ▼-3 | 666.70 | ▲36 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 03-Sep-22 | 535.2 | 534.3 | New season |
| 10-Sep-22 | 530.2 | 527.7 | New season |
| Change | ▼-5 | ▼-7 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 658.7 | 655.6 |
Live Sheep Exports 18/07/2022
