Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan said attempts by factories to lower beef prices is unjustified and unacceptable. He said demand for beef is extremely strong in all our key markets, with beef prices in the UK rising a further almost 7p/kg in the past week bringing the R4L steer price to the equivalent of €8.64/kg. Declan Harahan said the UK market remains the most important market for our beef and is setting the trend on beef prices, since the beginning of April steer prices have risen by over 18c/kg and continues to increase. He said the gamesmanship of factories in recent weeks is completely at odds with the realities of the marketplace and must stop. Declan Hanrahan said supplies of beef cattle will be extremely tight for the remainder of the year, Bord Bia predict a reduction of 87,000 cattle for the year. Throughput is up almost 25,000 head which leaves 110,000 less cattle available for factories for the remainder of the year before the buoyant live export trade for store cattle is factored in. Declan Hanrahan said farmers are not being misled by the unjustified propaganda from factories, very few finishers are accepting the lower quotes with deals available 10c to 20 c/kg above quotes for larger and specialist lots of cattle as factories struggle to fill lucrative long-term contracts that they must honour.
Beef Price Update 25/04/2025
Base Steer €7.50/7.70kg. Heifers €7.60/7.80kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €7.40/7.70Kg. Cows €6.60/7.50kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 16 (20.04.2025)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1,507 | ▼-171 | 4% | 39,339 | ▼-254 |
| Bull | 512 | ▼-37 | 1% | 7,265 | ▼-111 |
| Steer | 13,503 | ▼-833 | 38% | 207,329 | ▼-1,747,898 |
| Cow | 7,597 | ▼-2,150 | 21% | 130,143 | ▼-8,410 |
| Heifer | 10,760 | ▼-228 | 30% | 186,984 | ▲21,715 |
| Veal-V | 16 | ▼-151 | 0% | 2,269 | ▼-14,121 |
| Veal-Z | 34 | ▼-18 | 0% | 1,234 | ▲375 |
| Total | 35,717 | ▲3,367 | 100% | 574,563 | ▲3,665 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 16 (20.04.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 813 | ▼-5 | 807 | ▼-6 | 800 | ▼-8 | 769 | ▼-4 |
| Heifers | 825 | ▼-2 | 812 | ▼-3 | 804 | ▼-4 | 756 | ▼-8 |
| Y Bulls | 809 | ▼-2 | 790 | ▼-16 | 773 | ▼-13 | 773 | ▲5 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 756 | ▼-6 | 717 | ▼-6 | 703 | ▼-3 |
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 |
| 12/04/2025 | 704.6 | 707.1 | 702.2 | 706.9 | 692.7 | 694.5 | 541.3 |
| 19/04/2025 | 709.0 | 712.7 | 707.6 | 712.2 | 697.9 | 697.5 | 551.5 |
| Change | ▲4 | ▲6 | ▲4 | ▲5 | ▲5 | ▲3 | ▲10 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 891.3 | 896.0 | 889.6 | 895.3 | 877.4 | 876.9 | 693.3 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 31.12.2022 | 30.12.2023 | 04.01.2025 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 5.21 | € 4.97 | € 5.61 |
| IE + Steers | € 5.00 | € 5.03 | € 5.64 |
| UK + Steers | € 5.12 | € 5.64 | € 6.65 |
Live Cattle Exports 7th April
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Adrian Gallagher has critised factories for the unjustified attempts to reduce hogget and lamb prices this week. He said this behaviour of weakening prices at a critical time of the year only serves to undermine confidence in the sector and it must stop immediately. The level off cuts applied by factories cannot be absorbed by sheep farmers who have invested in having hoggets available for factories to service key customers at a very expensive time of the year. He said these cuts run the risks of undermining the sector and sets a dangerous path for the remainder of the year. Numbers of suitable fleshed hogget’s remain tight on the ground and supplies will remain tight over the coming weeks as spring lamb supplies remains very low. Sheep meat produced in the UK and EU will also be back this year based on projections he siad. The IFA Sheep Chairman said farmers should sell hard. Hogget and lamb numbers are tight despite the negative propaganda and factories need the supplies to supply key customers.
Lamb Price Update 17/04/2025
Hoggets €9.00kg/9.30kg. Spring lambs €9.50kg to €9.80kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €5.50/5.80/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 16 (20.04.2025)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 40,667 | ▼-152 | 585,728 | ▼-128,456 |
| Spring Lambs | 2,227 | ▲1,006 | 21,277 | ▲7,458 |
| Ewes and Rams | 2,811 | ▲266 | 49,965 | ▼-27,415 |
| Light Lambs | 3 | ▼-3 | 66 | ▲11 |
| TOTAL | 45,708 | ▲1,117 | 657,036 | ▼-148,402 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 16 (29.04.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2024 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 904.54 | ▲1 | 920.1 | ▼-16 |
| YTD Avg | 879.76 | ▲2 | 762.36 | ▲117 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 12/04/2025 | 720.5 | 710.4 | New season Lamb |
| 19/04/2025 | 713.0 | 702.9 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▼-8 | ▼-8 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 875.5 | 863.1 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports 2025
