Beef & Sheep UpdateCattleCattle PricesSheepSheep Prices

Beef & Sheep Update 2nd December

Cattle and Sheep in field, Wicklow, Ireland

Beef Update

IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said beef prices continue to rise as factories struggle to match supplies with demand. 

He said base prices for steers range from €4.70kg to 4.85kg while heifers are making from €4.75kg to €4.90kg. Cows are making from €4.10-4.60kg. Y Bulls R/U are ranging from €4.80kg to €5.10kg. 

He said factories must continue this upward movement of beef prices to offset significant cost increases for farmers finishing cattle over the winter period. Farmers are not in a position to absorb these increased costs and factories must return the full value of the strengthening beef market in higher prices paid to farmers.

The Livestock Chairman said factories are actively sourcing suitable slaughter fit cattle and farmers should sell hard to maintain the upward momentum of prices.

Beef Price Update 01/12/2022

Base Quotes Steer €4.70/4.85kg. Heifers €4.75/4.90kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.80/5.10Kg. Cows €4.10/4.60kg.

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)

AnimalNumberChange prev wk% of totalYTDYTD Change
Y Bulls2825▲3677%119420▲4,952
Bull471▼-113 1%26056▲1,469
Steer12571▼-1,216 33%659888▲36,099
Cow11115▲32229%369450▲51,401
Heifer10767▼-74 28%459481▲23,479
Veal-V32▼-16 0%28352▲7,376
Veal-Z65▲370%1550▲73
Total37846▼-693 100%1664197▲124,849

Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)

c/kg (Incl. VAT)U3Change prev wkR3Change prev wkO3Change prev wkP+3Change prev wk
Steers501▲7492▲8478▲9446▲10
Heifers510▲6496▲7486▲7438▲10
Y Bulls495▲11484▲11466▲12456▲15
Cows0▲0449▲8420▲6399▲5

Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB

 SteersSteersHeifersHeifersY bullY bullCow
p/kgR3R4LR3R4LR3R4L-O4L
19/11/2022452455.2450.7453.7442.3440.2353.4
26/11/2022451.7454.6443.6451.5453.2440.3441.4
Change▼-0 ▼-1 ▲1▼-1 ▼-1 ▼-6 ▼-1 
Price in c/kg (Incl VAT)554.6558.2554.4556.5542.0533.0433.3

Euro Price for the Most Recent Week  (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)

Country & Type14/11/202013/11/202112/11/2022
EU + Y Bulls€ 3.52€ 4.30€ 510.00
IE + Steers€ 3.60€ 4.15€ 4.59
UK + Steers € 4.20€ 4.83€ 5.10

Live Exports W/C  14.11.2022

Source: Bord Bia

Sheep

IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said the Department of Agriculture must resolve issues with the terms and conditions of the new Sheep Improvement Scheme. Following a meeting with Department officials this week, he said a number of issues require amendment for farmers to avoid unnecessary penalties. The first year of the scheme will run from February. The IFA Sheep Chairman said the scheme year period should run like the SWS, which would avoid penalising farmers for this action in year one. The requirement to nominate the years the genotyped/parentage verified in the scheme on the first year of application must not be a compliance requirement. The condition that each ram can only be claimed once over the lifetime of the scheme must be removed. For hill flocks, as it currently stands, a Scottish Blackface or a Cheviot ram needs to be DNA Sire verified by Sheep Ireland to be eligible for payment. All hill ram breeds must be included in this action and specific hill sheep types removed from the T&Cs. “It is extremely important that new entrants to the scheme be provided with a rolling reference period which would accurately reflect the level of activity on their farms while establishing their flocks throughout the duration of the scheme,” he said.

Lamb Price Update 01/12/2022

Lamb €6.60/6.80/kg. Deals to €7.00kg and to 23kgs. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.10/3.60/kg.

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)

AnimalFigureChangeYTDYTD Change
Lambs/Hoggets489▼-164 904735▲206,780
Spring Lambs46299▼-1,877 1377396▼-63,791 
Ewes and Rams6749▼-2,190 354573▲26,651
Light Lambs6▲6147▲18
TOTAL53543▼-4,225 2636851▲169,658

Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)

c/kg (Incl. VAT)WK47 Change prev wk2021Change prev yr
National Avg Price648.93▲23693.76▼-45 
YTD Avg682.59▼-1 660.27▲22

Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB

 R3L Overall SQQ*Type of lamb
19/11/2022551.5547.2New season
26/11/2022553.0549.6New season
Change▲2▲2 
Price in c/kg (Incl VAT)679.0674.9 

Live Sheep Exports 18/07/2022

Source: Bord Bia

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