Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said beef prices continue to rise as factories struggle to match supplies with demand.
He said base prices for steers range from €4.70kg to 4.85kg while heifers are making from €4.75kg to €4.90kg. Cows are making from €4.10-4.60kg. Y Bulls R/U are ranging from €4.80kg to €5.10kg.
He said factories must continue this upward movement of beef prices to offset significant cost increases for farmers finishing cattle over the winter period. Farmers are not in a position to absorb these increased costs and factories must return the full value of the strengthening beef market in higher prices paid to farmers.
The Livestock Chairman said factories are actively sourcing suitable slaughter fit cattle and farmers should sell hard to maintain the upward momentum of prices.
Beef Price Update 01/12/2022
Base Quotes Steer €4.70/4.85kg. Heifers €4.75/4.90kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.80/5.10Kg. Cows €4.10/4.60kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 2825 | ▲367 | 7% | 119420 | ▲4,952 |
| Bull | 471 | ▼-113 | 1% | 26056 | ▲1,469 |
| Steer | 12571 | ▼-1,216 | 33% | 659888 | ▲36,099 |
| Cow | 11115 | ▲322 | 29% | 369450 | ▲51,401 |
| Heifer | 10767 | ▼-74 | 28% | 459481 | ▲23,479 |
| Veal-V | 32 | ▼-16 | 0% | 28352 | ▲7,376 |
| Veal-Z | 65 | ▲37 | 0% | 1550 | ▲73 |
| Total | 37846 | ▼-693 | 100% | 1664197 | ▲124,849 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 501 | ▲7 | 492 | ▲8 | 478 | ▲9 | 446 | ▲10 |
| Heifers | 510 | ▲6 | 496 | ▲7 | 486 | ▲7 | 438 | ▲10 |
| Y Bulls | 495 | ▲11 | 484 | ▲11 | 466 | ▲12 | 456 | ▲15 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 449 | ▲8 | 420 | ▲6 | 399 | ▲5 |
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 |
| 19/11/2022 | 452 | 455.2 | 450.7 | 453.7 | 442.3 | 440.2 | 353.4 |
| 26/11/2022 | 451.7 | 454.6 | 443.6 | 451.5 | 453.2 | 440.3 | 441.4 |
| Change | ▼-0 | ▼-1 | ▲1 | ▼-1 | ▼-1 | ▼-6 | ▼-1 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 554.6 | 558.2 | 554.4 | 556.5 | 542.0 | 533.0 | 433.3 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 14/11/2020 | 13/11/2021 | 12/11/2022 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 3.52 | € 4.30 | € 510.00 |
| IE + Steers | € 3.60 | € 4.15 | € 4.59 |
| UK + Steers | € 4.20 | € 4.83 | € 5.10 |
Live Exports W/C 14.11.2022
Sheep
IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said the Department of Agriculture must resolve issues with the terms and conditions of the new Sheep Improvement Scheme. Following a meeting with Department officials this week, he said a number of issues require amendment for farmers to avoid unnecessary penalties. The first year of the scheme will run from February. The IFA Sheep Chairman said the scheme year period should run like the SWS, which would avoid penalising farmers for this action in year one. The requirement to nominate the years the genotyped/parentage verified in the scheme on the first year of application must not be a compliance requirement. The condition that each ram can only be claimed once over the lifetime of the scheme must be removed. For hill flocks, as it currently stands, a Scottish Blackface or a Cheviot ram needs to be DNA Sire verified by Sheep Ireland to be eligible for payment. All hill ram breeds must be included in this action and specific hill sheep types removed from the T&Cs. “It is extremely important that new entrants to the scheme be provided with a rolling reference period which would accurately reflect the level of activity on their farms while establishing their flocks throughout the duration of the scheme,” he said.
Lamb Price Update 01/12/2022
Lamb €6.60/6.80/kg. Deals to €7.00kg and to 23kgs. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.10/3.60/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 489 | ▼-164 | 904735 | ▲206,780 |
| Spring Lambs | 46299 | ▼-1,877 | 1377396 | ▼-63,791 |
| Ewes and Rams | 6749 | ▼-2,190 | 354573 | ▲26,651 |
| Light Lambs | 6 | ▲6 | 147 | ▲18 |
| TOTAL | 53543 | ▼-4,225 | 2636851 | ▲169,658 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 47 (27.11.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | WK47 | Change prev wk | 2021 | Change prev yr |
| National Avg Price | 648.93 | ▲23 | 693.76 | ▼-45 |
| YTD Avg | 682.59 | ▼-1 | 660.27 | ▲22 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 19/11/2022 | 551.5 | 547.2 | New season |
| 26/11/2022 | 553.0 | 549.6 | New season |
| Change | ▲2 | ▲2 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 679.0 | 674.9 |
Live Sheep Exports 18/07/2022
