Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan said the continued downward pressure on beef prices applied by factories is completely at odds with market conditions and must stop immediately. The latest prime Irish composite beef price reported by Bord Bia has recorded a further decline of 7c/kg, which has opened a gap of 42c/kg with the prime export benchmark beef price. This is the largest gap recorded since November 2024. UK beef prices are now over 50c/kg above Irish beef prices. It’s completely unacceptable and reckless that factories continue to talk down the trade when prices in our key export markets strengthen. There is now a gap of over 40c between where Irish beef prices are and what our key export markets are returning. It’s up the price of beef should be going, not down,” outlined the IFA Livestock Chair. Factories need to urgently reassess their pricing structures to avoid causing serious lasting damage to the beef sector. Farmers cannot tolerate any further price cuts, particularly as the price of fertiliser and fuel is escalating upwards.” There is no justification in the marketplace for any weakening of prices, which is putting further pressure on producers who already operate on very low margins. Farmers should not be misled by the negativity from factories. Markets are strong, supplies are tight and there is huge capacity for increases,” he concluded.
Beef Price Update 02/04/2026
Base Steer €6.60/6.80kg. Heifers €6.70/6.90kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €6.80/7.00Kg. Cows €6.00/6.70kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 13 (29.03.2026)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 2,073 | ▲160 | 6% | 35,292 | ▲683 |
| Bull | 583 | ▲112 | 2% | 4,972 | ▼-706 |
| Steer | 12,763 | ▲136 | 39% | 143,701 | ▼-21,341 |
| Cow | 6,648 | ▲459 | 21% | 84,503 | ▼-22,615 |
| Heifer | 10,144 | ▲427 | 31% | 130,146 | ▼-22,885 |
| Veal-V | 32 | ▲18 | 0% | 214 | ▼-1,855 |
| Veal-Z | 102 | ▼-8 | 0% | 1,658 | ▲564 |
| Total | 32,345 | ▲1,304 | 100% | 400,486 | ▼-68,155 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 13 (29.03.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 713 | ▼-11 | 704 | ▼-10 | 694 | ▼-9 | 656 | ▼-14 |
| Heifers | 726 | ▼-15 | 710 | ▼-12 | 699 | ▼-15 | 656 | ▼-15 |
| Y Bulls | 710 | ▼-7 | 692 | ▼-10 | 674 | ▼-12 | 659 | ▼-15 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 662 | ▼-1 | 621 | ▼-6 | 607 | ▼-8 |
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 |
| 21/03/2026 | 638.4 | 642.4 | 638.2 | 643.2 | 624.7 | 623.4 | 551.6 |
| 28/03/2026 | 639.5 | 642.5 | 640.1 | 642.9 | 628.7 | 626.8 | 551.5 |
| Change | ▲1 | ▲0 | ▲0 | ▼-0 | ▲4 | ▲3 | ▼-0 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 785.2 | 788.9 | 786.0 | 789.4 | 772.0 | 769.7 | 677.2 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 23.03.2024 | 22.03.2025 | 21.03.2026 |
| EU + Y Bulls R3 | € 5.07 | € 6.31 | €7.26 |
| IE + Steers R3 | € 5.17 | € 6.12 | € 6.85 |
| UK + Steers R3 | € 5.73 | € 8.01 | €7.35 |
Live Cattle Exports 23rd March
Sheep Update
Launching the 2026 ‘No Dogs Allowed’ campaign with Comhairle na Tuaithe in the Cooley peninsula in Co Louth, IFA President Francie Gorman said the scourge of dog attacks has to be confronted by imposing the full rigours of the law. “The reality is that dog owners who behave irresponsibly don’t believe there will be consequences for their actions. Until the authorities devote the resources needed to crack down on this behavior, the devastation caused by dog attacks will continue,” he said. IFA Sheep Chair Adrian Gallagher said IFA has consistently called for appropriate sanctions and to develop a single national database identifying dogs and their owners, similar to other jurisdictions. The critical issue in the first instance is to have all dogs in the country microchipped, registered to the owner and licensed in order to establish a national database for all dogs and the person responsible for the dog. It’s a critical time of the year as lambing is taking place. Dogs are not allowed on or near farmland and we are asking dog owners to behave in a responsible way and adhere to this. The lack of robust enforcement of the legal obligations on dog owners has allowed horrendous attacks to persist and increase across the country. It is unacceptable,” Adrian Gallagher said. We are demanding stronger regulations and stricter enforcement for those who disregard the safety and wellbeing of our livestock. “It is also important to remind dog owners that they are fully liable for any damages caused to farmers and their livestock and dogs found on our lands can be shot,” he said.
Lamb Price Update 02/04/2026
Hoggets €9.00/9.40kg. Weights to 23.5kg. Spring Lamb €10.00/10.20kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €5.00/5.40/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 13 (29.03.2026)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 42,676 | ▲5,819 | 436,641 | ▼-27,747 |
| Spring Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 32,697 | ▲15,202 |
| Ewes and Rams | 3,959 | ▲12 | 56,605 | ▲14,238 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 0 | ▼-54 |
| TOTAL | 46,635 | ▲5,831 | 525,943 | ▲1,639 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 13 (29.03.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2025 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 876.77 | ▲70 | 875.16 | ▲2 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▲18 | 874.75 | ▼-100 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 21/03/2026 | 839.2 | 837.5 | New season Lamb |
| 28/03/2026 | 869.3 | 867.3 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▲30 | ▲30 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 1067.4 | 1065.0 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports
