Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan said factory agents should cop on and stop trying to distort the public commentary on beef prices. “It is obvious they are using quoted prices to undermine farmer confidence, but yet they are prepared to pay for cattle when pushed,” he said. Prices for cattle have remained very resilient, coming in at just under €7/kg for R3 steers since the 4th April and holding this price right up to the 9th May, which is the latest reported price. This clearly showing the negativity put around by some factories and their agents on quoted prices is not reflective of actual prices paid. Declan Hanrahan said market conditions for beef are expected to improve over the coming weeks as supplies tighten and demand increases for the summer, in particular for steak cuts which will be further helped by the upcoming World Cup. “Factories and their agents have spent the last month talking down the trade and undermining farmers’ confidence despite continuing to process around 30,000 cattle a week.” He said the clear message for farmers is to push back strongly on the negativity put forward by factory agents and sell hard. “Most shed cattle have moved at this stage and factories will have to work hard to secure supplies to meet the expected increase in demand for beef that is anticipated to materialise over the coming weeks.” “The impact of cheaper southern hemisphere beef in our key markets will diminish as increased demand for beef in the US should see a lot of this product diverted to that market for the summer months. This will help the trade here,” he concluded.
Beef Price Update 21/05/2026
Base Steer €6.40/6.50kg. Heifers €6.50/6.60kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €6.60/6.80Kg. Cows €5.90/6.50kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 20 (17.05.2026)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1,986 | ▲307 | 6% | 46,184 | ▼-185 |
| Bull | 705 | ▲138 | 2% | 8,917 | ▼-612 |
| Steer | 12,859 | ▼-113 | 41% | 231,706 | ▼-23,512 |
| Cow | 6,033 | ▲515 | 19% | 128,673 | ▼-28,085 |
| Heifer | 9,666 | ▲251 | 31% | 198,238 | ▼-28,360 |
| Veal-V | 110 | ▲105 | 0% | 597 | ▼-1,842 |
| Veal-Z | 19 | ▲7 | 0% | 18,990 | ▲17,619 |
| Total | 31,378 | ▲1,210 | 100% | 616,205 | ▼-82,077 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 20 (17.05.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 702 | ▼-4 | 691 | ▼-7 | 680 | ▼-6 | 645 | ▼-10 |
| Heifers | 715 | ▼-2 | 698 | ▼-6 | 689 | ▼-7 | 644 | ▼-3 |
| Y Bulls | 702 | ▼-4 | 685 | ▼-5 | 666 | ▼-4 | 643 | ▼-9 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 649 | ▼-8 | 619 | ▼-4 | 605 | ▼-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 |
| 09/05/2026 | 616.4 | 620.5 | 617.4 | 622.2 | 603.2 | 601.5 | 524.1 |
| 16/05/2026 | 609.3 | 613.6 | 609.6 | 611.8 | 590.7 | 592.1 | 514.5 |
| Change | ▼-7 | ▼-7 | ▲0 | ▼-10 | ▼-13 | ▼-9 | ▼-10 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 748.2 | 753.4 | 748.5 | 751.2 | 725.3 | 727.0 | 631.8 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 18.05.2024 | 17.05.2025 | 16.06.2026 |
| EU + Y Bulls R3 | € 5.02 | € 6.58 | €6.64 |
| IE + Steers R3 | € 5.16 | € 7.56 | € 6.62 |
| UK + Steers R3 | € 5.70 | € 8.13 | €6.96 |
Live Cattle Exports 11th May
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Adrian Gallagher said sheep prices remain strong as factories struggle to match supply with market demand. He said the tightening of supplies is not only limited here, as sheep throughout across the EU is projected to fall by up 17% is the second half of 2026 and UK sheep production is forecasted to fall approximately 3% in 2026. The Sheep Chair said Factories must take full advantage of this supply situation in the market place and continue to return strong viable sheep prices to farmers. This week factories are offering deals for hogget’s from €9.30kg to €9.60kg on weights to 23kg. Spring lambs are making from €10.00kg to €10.30kg. Cull ewe prices are ranging from €5.30kg to €5.50kg The strong demand is also replicated in our key export markets where UK prices for old season lamb have lifted by over 35p/kg in the last week. French prices remain strong at over €10.50kg, The IFA Sheep Chair said its important factories maintain strong prices to retain full confidence within the sector.
Lamb Price Update 22/05/2026
Hoggets €9.30/9.60kg. Weights to 23kg. Spring Lamb €10.00/10.30kg. Weights to 21kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €5.30/5.50/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 46 (16.11.2025)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 18,938 | ▼-2,291 | 630,590 | ▼-59,606 |
| Spring Lambs | 7,906 | ▲1,697 | 56,778 | ▲8,177 |
| Ewes and Rams | 52,277 | ▲47,945 | 90,929 | ▲29,651 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 0 | ▼-80 |
| TOTAL | 32,121 | ▲351 | 778,297 | ▼-21,858 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 46 (16.11.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2025 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 918.89 | ▼-1 | 858.82 | ▲60 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▲5 | 876.99 | ▼-53 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 09/05/2026 | 842.8 | 836.9 | New season Lamb |
| 16/05/2026 | 878.9 | 870.9 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▲36 | ▲34 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 1079.2 | 1069.4 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports
