Beef Update
IFA livestock chairman Declan Hanrahan said firm demand for beef and tight supplies of cattle here and in our key export markets is underpinning the trade. He said prices in our key markets are strong and must be reflected in the direction of travel of our beef prices. Declan Hanrahan said attempts by factories and their agents to talk down the trade are not justified. He said that despite factories offering lower quotes, they are all openly paying 10 to 20 c/kg above quotes to secure cattle, particularly for larger and specialist lots. The IFA livestock chairman said farmers should not be misled by unfounded negativity from factories and should sell hard to take back control of the trade.
Beef Price Update 18/12/2025
Base Steer €7.20/7.30kg. Heifers €7.30/7.40kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €7.30/7.50Kg. Cows €6.50/7.00kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 50 (14.12.2025)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 2,566 | ▲227 | 8% | 99,428 | ▼-2,959 |
| Bull | 282 | ▼-24 | 1% | 22,708 | ▼-4,882 |
| Steer | 11,395 | ▼-111 | 35% | 600,527 | ▼-65,589 |
| Cow | 7,863 | ▲276 | 24% | 344,447 | ▼-89,779 |
| Heifer | 10,386 | ▲4 | 32% | 477,109 | ▼-26,595 |
| Veal-V | 22 | ▲9 | 0% | 3,364 | ▼-17,462 |
| Veal-Z | 76 | ▼-28 | 0% | 2,264 | ▲279 |
| Total | 32,590 | ▲353 | 100% | 1,549,847 | ▼-206,987 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 50 (14.12.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 769 | ▼-10 | 764 | ▼-6 | 757 | ▼-7 | 723 | ▼-9 |
| Heifers | 783 | ▼-7 | 771 | ▼-6 | 767 | ▼-4 | 722 | ▼-2 |
| Y Bulls | 766 | ▼-6 | 756 | ▼-6 | 742 | ▼-6 | 727 | ▼-19 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 712 | ▼-6 | 767 | ▲82 | 660 | ▼-7 |
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 |
| 06/12/2025 | 668.9 | 670.8 | 666 | 667.7 | 655.7 | 648.2 | 539.4 |
| 13/12/2025 | 661.5 | 663.5 | 659.2 | 662.3 | 648.0 | 642.8 | 526.8 |
| Change | ▼-7 | ▼-7 | ▲0 | ▼-5 | ▼-8 | ▼-5 | ▼-13 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 812.3 | 814.7 | 809.4 | 813.2 | 795.7 | 789.3 | 646.9 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 02.12.2023 | 07.12.2024 | 06.12.2025 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 4.78 | € 5.47 | € 7.32 |
| IE + Steers | € 4.94 | € 5.62 | € 7.21 |
| UK + Steers | € 5.60 | € 6.52 | € 7.54 |
Live Cattle Exports 8th December
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon must revisit the linear cut to the Sheep Welfare Scheme and secure the funding necessary to pay farmers in full the €13/ewe the scheme provided for. Adrian Gallagher said cutting the payment levels in the National exchequer sheep scheme is a retrograde step and sets a very dangerous precedent for the sector at a critical time. He said production from the sector has fallen by over 800,000 head in the past two years with generational renewal within the sector at crisis point. The IFA Sheep Chair said the Ministers own party in advance of the last general election committed to providing €30/ewe through national and CAP funding, but his first act has been to cut the level of supports by €1.50/head that sheep farmers will receive. Adrian Gallgaher said sheep farming is the second largest farm sector in the country, our most vulnerable sector and carried out in some of the most difficult terrain and land types that is farmed. The sector plays a pivotal role in the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the most rural parts of this country. The IFA Sheep Chair said it will cost just over €2m to pay all sheep farmers in the scheme in full, the Minister can and must find this funding to honour his and his government colleagues’ commitments to sheep farmers. He said sheep farmers entered the scheme in good faith, we have carried out the actions on our farms and incurred the costs, sheep farmers do not have the capacity or resources to be shortchanged by the Minister in this way. The decision to cut the payments must be reviewed and the funding provided to pay all farmers in full the €13/ewe they expected from the scheme when incurring the costs of participation.
Lamb Price Update 12/12/2025
Spring lambs €7.80/8.10kg. Weights to 23kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €4.40/5.00/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 50 (14.12.2025)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 31 | ▼-15 | 760,271 | ▼-143,270 |
| Spring Lambs | 36,837 | ▲1,586 | 1,031,335 | ▼-223,415 |
| Ewes and Rams | 2,913 | ▼-585 | 191,279 | ▼-70,820 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 134 | ▲6 |
| TOTAL | 39,781 | ▲986 | 1,983,019 | ▼-437,499 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 50 (14.12.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2024 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 751.29 | ▼-4 | 827.19 | ▼-76 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▼-1 | 775.92 | ▲39 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 06/12/2025 | 713.1 | 713.5 | New season Lamb |
| 13/12/2025 | 695.7 | 700.0 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▼-17 | ▼-14 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 854.3 | 859.5 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports 2nd October 2025
