Beef & Sheep UpdateCattleCattle PricesSheepSheep Prices

Beef & Sheep Update 6th August

Cattle and Sheep in Wicklow Field, Ireland

Beef Update

IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said market conditions for beef should be favourable for the remainder of the year as markets and buying patterns return to normal. He said supplies of finished cattle would be tight for the rest of the year. Numbers are back to date by over 67,000 head, with the annual kill predicted to be back a further 50,000 head by year-end, with a total of 110 – 120,000 fewer slaughter cattle available than 2020. “The strong performance of the live export trade to Northern Ireland for store and finished cattle, which is expected to continue into the back end of the year, is adding strong competition for farmers and ensuring numbers of finished cattle will be tight up to year-end. Forty-two thousand six hundred and fifty-five cattle have been exported to NI this year, increasing from 13,896 in 2020,” he said.

Beef Price Update 05/08/21

Steer Base €4.25/4.35kg. Heifers €4.30/4.40kg. Higher deals larger lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.25/4.40Kg. Cows €3.60/4.00kg.

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM  – Week 30 (25.07.2021)

AnimalNumberChange prev. wk.% of totalYTDYTD Change
Y Bulls1,738▼-409 5%83,731▼-13,657 
Bull672▲262%15,528▼-4,195 
Steer16,327▲2,21248%347,394▼-14,626 
Cow6,660▼-721 20%201,820▼-3,021 
Heifer8,617▼-33 25%271,686▼-29,143 
Veal-V3▼-27 0%20,614▼-5,821 
Veal-Z22▼-3 0%1,066▲95
Total34,039▲1,045100%941,839▼-70,368 

Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 30 (25.07.2021)

c/kg (Incl. VAT)U3Changeprev wkR3Changeprev wkO3Change prev wkP+3Changeprev wk
Steers460▲0451▲1437▲0407▼-1 
Heifers467▼-1 455▼-1 445▼-2 399▲1
Y Bulls451▲5438▲4416▲0400▼-7 
Cows0▲0393▲1371▲0361▲0

Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB

 SteersSteersHeifersHeifersY bullY bullCow
p/kgR3R4LR3R4LR3R4L-O4L
24.07.2021411.6413.9411.2412.8405.4402.7312
24.07.2021411.6413.9411.2412.8405.4402.7312
Change▲2▲1▲2▲3▲1▲2▲2
Price in c/kg (Incl VAT)513.6515.7513.5515.9504.4502.5390.6

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

Country & Type01.08.202031.07.2021
EU + Y Bulls€ 3.53€ 3.87
IE + Steers€ 3.75€ 4.28
UK + Steers € 4.11€ 4.73

Live Exports 19.07.2021

Source: Bord Bia

Sheep Update

IFA National Sheep Chairman Sean Dennehy says the outlook for lamb prices is positive. He said significant numbers of lambs were moved in the past few weeks to meet demand for the Eid festival. He said, “Farmers have moved lambs at lighter weights this year with average carcase weights back .5kg for the year. This has reduced the volume of sheep meat in the marketplace, a situation replicated in the UK and ensures there won’t be a glut of lambs to come out”. Breeding sales will be starting, and combined with the strong store trade, will provide competition to factories for lambs. He said farmers should sell hard as lambs become fit throughout the remainder of the year in a favourable market environment.

Lamb Price Update 05/08/21

Spring Lamb €6.20/6.40kg. Higher deals groups and larger lots. Good Demand. Sell Hard. Ewes €3.30/3.60kg.

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 30 (25.07.2021)

AnimalFigureChangeYTDYTD Change
Lambs/Hoggets278▲63695,305▼-91,649 
Spring Lambs49,321▼-5,895 602,126▲1,515
Ewes and Rams8,598▼-153 177,542▼-18,785 
Light Lambs0▲0105▲63
TOTAL58,197▼-5,985 1,475,078▼-108,856 

Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 30 (25.07.2021)

c/kg (Incl. VAT)WK 30 Change prev wk2020Change prev yr
National Avg Price605.61▼-10 525.11▲81
YTD Avg678.98▼-3 528.71▲150

Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB

 R3L Overall SQQ*Type of lamb
17/06/2021558.1560.5New season
24/07/2021564.3565.5New season
Change▲6▲5 
Price in c/kg (Incl VAT)701.1702.6 
Source: Bord Bia

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