Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chair Declan Hanrahan said our beef prices are lagging behind both the EU and UK prices by up to 20c/kg. He said supplies continue to tighten in both these key markets for Irish beef, with prices steadily increasing since the beginning of February to push the Prime Export Benchmark price 10 c/kg above our price. This gap is widening “Attempts by factories here to reduce prices are completely at odds with the reality of the marketplace and direction of travel of UK and EU beef prices.” “The behaviour of factories here in attempting to undermine the market and cut prices for winter finishers is nothing short of opportunism and profiteering off the back of farmers who have made enormous investments in buying and feeding cattle to have ready for this time of year,” he said. Demand for beef is strong, supplies are extremely tight in our key export markets and prices there are strengthening. “Farmers should push back strongly on the unjustified attempts by factories and their agents to undermine the trade.” Declan Hanrahan said factories must stop the gamesmanship and start returning the full value of the marketplace in beef prices. There is no justification in our prices dropping while UK and EU beef prices increase.
Beef Price Update 05/03/2026
Base Steer €7.00/7.10kg. Heifers €7.10/7.20kg. Higher deals for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €7.10/7.30Kg. Cows €6.30/6.90kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 09 (01.03.2026)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 2,389 | ▼-298 | 7% | 26,865 | ▼-54 |
| Bull | 420 | ▼-69 | 1% | 2,875 | ▼-388 |
| Steer | 11,856 | ▲461 | 36% | 93,928 | ▼-17,209 |
| Cow | 7,026 | ▲338 | 22% | 57,467 | ▼-17,379 |
| Heifer | 10,733 | ▲405 | 33% | 89,478 | ▼-17,112 |
| Veal-V | 5 | ▼-25 | 0% | 129 | ▼-764 |
| Veal-Z | 111 | ▲39 | 0% | 1,229 | ▲315 |
| Total | 32540 | ▲851 | 100% | 271971 | ▼-52,591 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 09 (01.03.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 745 | ▼-3 | 736 | ▼-4 | 727 | ▼-4 | 698 | ▼-2 |
| Heifers | 756 | ▼-4 | 744 | ▼-3 | 736 | ▼-5 | 695 | ▲2 |
| Y Bulls | 737 | ▼-6 | 726 | ▼-8 | 714 | ▼-3 | 701 | ▼-5 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 695 | ▼-5 | 656 | ▼-1 | 644 | ▼-2 |
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 |
| 21/02/2026 | 642 | 646.2 | 641.9 | 646.2 | 628.2 | 630.4 | 537.4 |
| 28/02/2026 | 642.8 | 646.8 | 641.8 | 646.0 | 628.8 | 624.4 | 534.1 |
| Change | ▲1 | ▲1 | ▲0 | ▼-0 | ▲1 | ▼-6 | ▼-3 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 789.3 | 794.2 | 788.1 | 793.2 | 772.1 | 766.7 | 655.8 |
Live cattle exports 23rd February
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Adrian Gallagher said hogget prices rise 10c/kg as demand for sheep meat intensifies. He said throughput fell over 3,000 head for the latest week and is back over 10,500 head on the corresponding week in 2025 highlighting the tightening of supplies on the market. He said prices in our key export markets are strong and rising and factories must continue to return strong viable prices to farmers who have invested heavily in producing hogget’s for factories at this time of year. Factories are offering deals from €7.70kg to €8.10kg for hoggets and deals from €4.40kg to €5.00kg for cull ewes. Adrian Gallagher said factories are very anxious for lambs, supplies are projected to remain tight in the coming weeks and farmers should sell hard while moving lambs as they become fit.
Lamb Price Update 05/03/2026
Hoggets €7.80/8.10kg. Weights to 23kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €4.40/5.00/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 09 (01.03.2026)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 34,119 | ▼-3,893 | 287,108 | ▼-16,307 |
| Spring Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 32,697 | ▲15,419 |
| Ewes and Rams | 3,933 | ▲810 | 39,746 | ▲9,173 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 0 | ▼-19 |
| TOTAL | 38,052 | ▼-3,083 | 359,551 | ▲8,266 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 09 (01.03.2026)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2025 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 752.77 | ▲5 | 881.36 | ▼-129 |
| YTD Avg | 847.95 | ▲0 | 879.26 | ▼-129 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 21/02/2026 | 725.3 | 723.8 | New season Lamb |
| 28/02/2026 | 758.3 | 753.6 | New season Lamb |
| Change | ▲33 | ▲30 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 931.1 | 925.4 | 1 |
Live Sheep Exports 2025
