Beef Update
IFA President Francie Gorman said the decision by the EU Commission to allow the Mercosur deal to come into effect provisionally today, pending a decision by the European Parliament, does not take away from the issues that exist for farmers here. The Commission is saying this week that more audits will be done in Brazil. But this underlines how inadequate the existing oversight is. The findings from the IFA/Farmers Journal investigation more than six months ago laid bare the inability of Brazil to meet the standards set down by the EU. The EU Commission cannot expect farmers to have trust in the system when they see the scale of the shortcomings,” he said.
Francie Gorman said co-decision within the EU means the role of the European Parliament should be respected in the process. “MEPs are directly elected in each Member State, unlike the EU Commission which is appointed. As the Parliament has a say, it should have its input before any further move was made,” he said. The IFA President said IFA will continue to oppose the deal because of the failure of beef and poultry imports from the Mercosur region to meet the very rigorous standards that apply to European producers. “Those who support the deal cannot deny that an issue exists with imports. The EU Commission is in denial and no extra number of audits will deal with this fundamental point,” he concluded.
Beef Price Update 30/04/2026
Base Steer €6.60/6.80kg. Heifers €6.70/6.90kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €6.80/7.10Kg. Cows €6.10/6.70kg
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 17 (26.04.2026)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1,392 | ▲1 | 5% | 41,031 | ▲87 |
| Bull | 512 | ▼-42 | 2% | 7,006 | ▼-809 |
| Steer | 12,320 | ▼-643 | 40% | 193,472 | ▼-26,851 |
| Cow | 6,331 | ▼-437 | 21% | 110,783 | ▼-27,002 |
| Heifer | 9,824 | ▲83 | 32% | 169,438 | ▼-27,870 |
| Veal-V | 100 | ▲64 | 0% | 441 | ▼-1,887 |
| Veal-Z | 50 | ▲29 | 0% | 1,828 | ▲561 |
| Total | 30,529 | ▼-945 | 100% | 523,999 | ▼-83,771 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 17 (26.04.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 711 | ▼-2 | 699 | ▲1 | 687 | ▼-1 | 652 | ▲0 |
| Heifers | 720 | ▲1 | 705 | ▼-1 | 697 | ▲1 | 648 | ▲1 |
| Y Bulls | 700 | ▼-4 | 689 | ▲2 | 672 | ▲7 | 651 | ▼-1 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 654 | ▲2 | 623 | ▲5 | 612 | ▲5 |
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 |
| 18/04/2026 | 637 | 638.9 | 635.9 | 640.5 | 624.6 | 621.6 | 548.3 |
| 25/04/2026 | 632.6 | 636.0 | 631.4 | 636.3 | 619.7 | 616.9 | 542.9 |
| Change | ▼-4 | ▼-3 | ▲0 | ▼-4 | ▼-5 | ▼-5 | ▼-5 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 776.8 | 780.9 | 775.3 | 781.3 | 760.9 | 757.5 | 666.6 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 27.04.2024 | 26.04.2025 | 25.04.2026 |
| EU + Y Bulls R3 | € 5.02 | € 6.45 | €6.98 |
| IE + Steers R3 | € 5.21 | € 7.56 | € 6.69 |
| UK + Steers R3 | € 5.70 | € 8.21 | €7.22 |
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Adrian Gallagher said demand for hogget’s and spring lambs remains strong as supplies tighten. He said total hogget throughput to date is running over 47,000 head behind the same period last year and factories are struggling to match supplies with market demand. The tightening of supplies is evident at mart sales where there is good competition between factory agents, butchers and wholesalers offering a viable competitive outlet for heavier lambs and this should be considered.
He said factories are offering deals on hogget’s from €9.50kg to €9.90kg on weights to 23.5kg this week. The limited number of Spring lambs on offer are making from €10.00kg to €10.30kg on weights to 21kg. The cull ewe trade remains strong and prices are ranging from €5.40kg to €5.80kg in general. The IFA Sheep Chairman said farmers should sell lambs as they become fit, shop around and sell hard as supplies of suitable lambs and hoggets are tight on the ground.
Lamb Price Update 30/04/2026
Hoggets €9.50/9.90kg. Weights to 23.5kg. Spring Lamb €10.00/10.30kg. Weights to 21kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €5.40/5.80/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 17 (26.04.2026)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 28540 | ▼-1,294 | 567048 | ▼-47,034 |
| Spring Lambs | 2446 | ▲421 | 38864 | ▲15,611 |
| Ewes and Rams | 5876 | ▲998 | 76858 | ▲24,709 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 0 | ▼-66 |
| TOTAL | 36862 | ▲125 | 682770 | ▼-6,780 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 17 (26.04.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2025 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 935.21 | ▲18 | 863 | ▲72 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▲8 | 878.78 | ▼-72 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 18/04/2026 | 850.4 | 846.7 | New season Lamb |
| 25/04/2026 | 850.5 | 843.4 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▲0 | ▼-3 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 1044.3 | 1035.6 | 1 |
