Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan said the Minister for Ag Martin Heydon must build supports for suckler farmers in next week’s Budget to the €300/cow commitment he and his party gave to farmers in their election manifesto. Declan Hanrahan said a critical part of this funding is through national exchequer funding which must be allocated each year in the Budget. “€28m was provided in last year’s Budget to bring payments to €225/cow for the first 22 cows this year. This must be built on to bring the payment to €300/cow for all suckler cows.” He said the suckler sector has lost over 250,000 cows in the last ten years. Suckler farming is based on small-scale vulnerable farms, predominantly on the west coast of Ireland. They are heavily dependent on direct supports for Family Farm Income, with this dependence at 132% for 2024 alone. The viability and long-term sustainability of suckler farming is heavily reliant on the levels of direct support provided to the sector. He said the Minister cannot shy away from the political commitment given to suckler farmers, nor can he attempt to justify failing to provide increased supports to suckler farmers based on one good year of sales from the sector. He said suckler farmers took the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon and his Government colleagues at their word when they all committed to increasing the supports to suckler farmers in advance of the last general election.
Beef Price Update 02/10/2025
Base Steer €7.20/7.40kg. Heifers €7.30/7.40kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €7.30/7.50Kg. Cows €6.60/7.40kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 39 (28.09.2025)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1,060 | ▼-5 | 4% | 82,053 | ▼-1,451 |
| Bull | 418 | ▼-19 | 1% | 18,830 | ▼-3,761 |
| Steer | 13,897 | ▲200 | 46% | 465,150 | ▼-34,908 |
| Cow | 5,825 | ▼-31 | 19% | 268,005 | ▼-53,350 |
| Heifer | 8,821 | ▲380 | 29% | 376,963 | ▲2,284 |
| Veal-V | 23 | ▼-16 | 0% | 3,011 | ▼-17,199 |
| Veal-Z | 9 | ▼-6 | 0% | 1,807 | ▲385 |
| Total | 30,053 | ▲503 | 100% | 1,215,819 | ▲3,665 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 39 (28.09.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 760 | ▼-9 | 751 | ▼-9 | 736 | ▼-9 | 708 | ▼-4 |
| Heifers | 775 | ▼-6 | 757 | ▼-10 | 749 | ▼-8 | 712 | ▼-2 |
| Y Bulls | 754 | ▼-4 | 746 | ▼-5 | 730 | ▼-2 | 721 | ▼-15 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 723 | ▲3 | 687 | ▼-8 | 671 | ▼-26 |
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 |
| 20/09/2025 | 648.1 | 651.4 | 645.7 | 650.1 | 640.3 | 637.5 | 538.8 |
| 20/09/2025 | 650.1 | 652.2 | 645.7 | 651.2 | 638.3 | 635.3 | 542.1 |
| Change | ▲2 | ▲1 | ▲0 | ▲1 | ▼-2 | ▼-2 | ▲3 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 798.3 | 800.8 | 792.9 | 799.6 | 783.8 | 780.1 | 665.6 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 09.09.2025 | 14.09.2025 | 13.09.2025 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 4.84 | € 5.17 | € 6.95 |
| IE + Steers | € 4.62 | € 5.06 | € 7.36 |
| UK + Steers | € 5.44 | € 5.96 | € 7.46 |
Live Cattle Exports 22nd September
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said the ball is firmly at the foot of the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon to show leadership and a willingness to stop the collapse of the sheep sector in Ireland. He said the support package the Minister will provide in next week’s Budget for sheep farmers will be a clear indication of his and the Government’s commitment to sheep production in the country. He said to date this year throughput in sheep processing plants is back over 350,000 head, following a drop of over 360,000 last year. Over the past two years that’s a reduction of 700,000 sheep processed. He said the Minister must build on the €22m package provided for this year’s Sheep Welfare Scheme which combined with the CAP Sheep Improvement Scheme allocated a payment of €25/ewe to sheep farmers. This must be built on to bring payments to a minimum of €30/ewe, and €40/ewe for hill farmers. He said we are at a critical point in time for the sector. If we continue to lose numbers at the rate of the last two years, we will not have a competitive processing sector or be able to retain key blue chip customers for those who remain. The Minister must come forward with a long-term strategy for the sector, starting with firm funding commitments in the upcoming budget for targeted sheep supports for next year of a minimum of €30/ewe,” he concluded.
Lamb Price Update 02/10/2025
Spring lambs €7.80/8.10kg. Weights to 22kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €4.40/5.20/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 39 (28.09.2025)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 174 | ▼-21 | 759,494 | ▼-137,601 |
| Spring Lambs | 34,292 | ▲1,712 | 649,892 | ▼-178,007 |
| Ewes and Rams | 6,134 | ▲846 | 144,800 | ▼-63,972 |
| Light Lambs | 1 | ▲0 | 130 | ▲22 |
| TOTAL | 40,601 | ▲2,537 | 1,554,316 | ▼-379,558 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 39 (28.09.2025)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2024 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 747.19 | ▲0 | 713.62 | ▲34 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▼-2 | 779.36 | ▲54 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 20/09/2025 | 671.4 | 670.2 | New season Lamb |
| 27/09/2025 | 684.1 | 682.5 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▲13 | ▲12 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 840.0 | 838.0 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports 02/07/2025
