Beef Update
IFA Livestock chairman Brendan Golden said demand for beef is strong as prices continue to increase, rising a further 5c/kg. He said factories are offering deals on transport and flat deals to secure numbers. €4.40/kg base price is available in most factories for steers, with €4.45/kg the starting point for heifers with all factories paying 5 to 10c/kg above quotes to secure numbers pushing paid prices to €4.50 and €4.60/g respectively with higher deals for specialist and larger lots. Young bulls are ranging from €4.30/kg to €4.50/kg for R/U grades with flat prices of €4.45/kg. Cows are making €3.70/kg to €4.10/kg. Brendan Golden said farmers should sell hard, demand for beef in our key export markets is strong and supplies of suitable cattle are tight with mart prices for cull cows and finished cattle well above factory prices in cases and providing real competition for farmers. He said all in prices of €5/kg are now very much in play and needed as production costs look set to be 65c/kg above last year’s levels.
Beef Price Update 10/02/2022
Steer Base €4.30/4.50kg. Heifers €4.40/4.55kg. Higher deals larger lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.25/4.40Kg. Cows €3.60/4.10kg
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 5 (31.01.2022)
| Animal | Number | Change prev. wk. | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 3,691 | ▼-515 | 10% | 19,161 | ▲1,390 |
| Bull | 329 | ▼-36 | 1% | 2,192 | ▲613 |
| Steer | 12,655 | ▲426 | 35% | 56,540 | ▲1,991 |
| Cow | 7,955 | ▲356 | 22% | 34,145 | ▲2,557 |
| Heifer | 11,327 | ▲636 | 31% | 52,066 | ▼-55 |
| Veal-V | 159 | ▲130 | 0% | 221 | ▼-59 |
| Veal-Z | 72 | ▼-33 | 0% | 258 | ▲91 |
| Total | 36,188 | ▲964 | 100% | 164,583 | ▲6,528 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 5 (31.01.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Changeprev wk | R3 | Changeprev wk | O3 | Changeprev wk | P+3 | Changeprev wk |
| Steers | 466 | ▼-1 | 459 | ▲2 | 446 | ▲3 | 414 | ▲2 |
| Heifers | 457 | ▼-17 | 461 | ▲0 | 456 | ▲3 | 402 | ▼-2 |
| Y Bulls | 447 | ▲2 | 437 | ▲1 | 424 | ▲1 | 416 | ▲5 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 413 | ▲6 | 381 | ▲2 | 366 | ▲3 |
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 |
| 29.01.2022 | 414 | 415.4 | 414.3 | 415.4 | 405.9 | 394.8 | 291.5 |
| 05.02.2022 | 412.6 | 413.5 | 406.1 | 412.6 | 414.2 | 405.3 | 403.8 |
| Change | ▼-1 | ▼-2 | ▼-2 | ▼-1 | ▼-2 | ▲3 | ▲3 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 518.7 | 519.8 | 518.7 | 520.7 | 507.6 | 500.3 | 370.4 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 08.02.2020 | 06.02.2021 | 05.02.2022 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 3.62 | € 3.71 | € 4.57 |
| IE + Steers | € 3.66 | € 3.82 | € 4.35 |
| UK + Steers | € 4.00 | € 4.37 | € 4.91 |
Live Exports W/C 24.01.2022
Sheep Update
IFA sheep committee chairman Kevin Comiskey said factory cuts for overweight and underweight lambs are unjustified. He said the trade is strong for sheep meat and factories should be working with farmers, not against them. The IFA sheep committee chairman said most lambs continue to move between €6.90/kg and €7.00/kg, cull ewes are in strong demand with prices in general from €3.30/kg to €3.60/kg. Kevin Comiskey said the mart trade continues to be a viable alternative and where there is good competition between factory agents and butchers prices are at the higher end of the scale. He said it is important farmers sell lambs when fit to maintain control of the supply situation and maximise returns. The IFA sheep committee chairman said sheep farmers are facing cost increases for the year of between €10 and €12/ewe on fertiliser alone based Teagasc estimates and there is no capacity on sheep farms to absorb these increases, they must be returned from the market place.
Lamb Price Update 10/02/2022
Hogget/lamb €6.80/7.00/kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.30/3.60/kg. Sell hard.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 5 (31.01.2022)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 46,446 | ▲3,796 | 219,301 | ▲10,495 |
| Spring Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 0 | ▲0 |
| Ewes and Rams | 6,307 | ▼-1,727 | 30,408 | ▲123 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▼-9 | 19 | ▲6 |
| TOTAL | 52,753 | ▲2,060 | 249,728 | ▲10,624 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 5 (31.01.2022)
| c/kg(Incl. VAT) | WK 05 | Changeprev wk | 2021 | Change prev yr |
| National Avg Price | 674.41 | ▲21 | 603.69 | ▲71 |
| YTD Avg | 678.90 | ▼-1 | 588.87 | ▲90 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 29.01.2022 | 580.2 | 577.6 | Old season |
| 05.02.2022 | 590.0 | 587.4 | Old season |
| Change | ▲10 | ▲10 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 741.7 | 738.4 |
