Beef Update
IFA Livestock Chairman Declan Hanrahan said beef prices have moved on a further 5c/kg this week as demand continues to outstrip supply. Steer prices are now making from €5.10kg to €5.20kg while heifers range from €5.15kg to €5.25kg. Young bulls R/U are making from €5.10kg to €5.50kg. He said the cow trade remains strong with prices ranging from €4.20kg for P grades up to €4.80kg for well fleshed U grade cows. He said factories are having to pay 10c/kg above quotes to secure cattle this week and farmers should dig in hard and demand stronger returns from the market place.
Beef Price Update 25/01/2024
Base Quotes Steer €5.10/5.20kg. Heifers €5.15/5.25kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €5.10/5.50Kg. Cows €4.20/4.80kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 03 (21.01.2024)
| Animal | Number | Change prev wk | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 2,722 | ▼-744 | 8% | 8,852 | ▼-1,895 |
| Bull | 467 | ▲173 | 1% | 1,030 | ▲177 |
| Steer | 12,108 | ▲428 | 34% | 34,029 | ▲1,928 |
| Cow | 9,121 | ▲201 | 26% | 24,968 | ▲2,839 |
| Heifer | 10,764 | ▼-47 | 31% | 31,338 | ▲637 |
| Veal-V | 1 | ▼-34 | 0% | 37 | ▲5 |
| Veal-Z | 31 | ▲4 | 0% | 95 | ▼-26 |
| Total | 35,214 | ▼-19 | 100% | 100,349 | ▲3,665 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 03 (21.01.2024)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Change prev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Change prev wk |
| Steers | 546 | ▲3 | 537 | ▲3 | 530 | ▲5 | 500 | ▲6 |
| Heifers | 553 | ▲2 | 543 | ▲4 | 537 | ▲4 | 486 | ▲2 |
| Y Bulls | 535 | ▲4 | 524 | ▲3 | 508 | ▲2 | 507 | ▲6 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 472 | ▼-1 | 433 | ▲5 | 414 | ▲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 |
| 13/01/2024 | 498.3 | 501.3 | 497 | 500.1 | 485.2 | 482 | 350 |
| 20/01/2024 | 499.7 | 502.0 | 498.7 | 500.8 | 484.7 | 480.1 | 358.2 |
| Change | ▲1 | ▲1 | ▲1 | ▲1 | ▼-1 | ▼-2 | ▲8 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 613.6 | 616.4 | 611.9 | 614.9 | 595.2 | 589.5 | 439.8 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 2022 | 07.01.2023 | 13.01.2024 |
| EU + Y Bulls | Not Available | € 5.21 | € 4.99 |
| IE + Steers | Not Available | € 5.04 | € 5.10 |
| UK + Steers | Not Available | € 5.14 | € 5.70 |
Live Exports W/C 15.01.2024
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep Chairman Adrian Gallagher said lamb quotes continue to notch upwards increasing 10c/kg this week. He said lambs are now making from €6.90kg to €7.10kg with higher deals for groups and larger lots. Cull ewes are making from €2.80kg to €3.30kg in general. He said the mart trade is very strong for all categories of sheep and said farmers should be mindful of this viable alternative when marketing their stock. He said lamb numbers are very tight on the ground and this was evident in the latest supply figures reported by the DAFM. Total throughput for the most recent week fell over 5,200/head of which 4,000 were lambs. Total throughput year to date is back 3,448/head on the corresponding date in 2022. Adrian Gallagher said farmers should weigh up their options when marketing stock and sell hard in a rising market.
Lamb Price Update 25/01/2024
Lamb €6.90/7.10/kg. Weights to 23kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €2.80/3.20/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 03 (21.01.2024)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 46,858 | ▼-3,938 | 131,426 | ▼-7,330 |
| Spring Lambs | 0 | ▲0 | 8,571 | ▲8,571 |
| Ewes and Rams | 5,198 | ▼-1,317 | 15,718 | ▼-4,684 |
| Light Lambs | 0 | ▼-2 | 5 | ▼-5 |
| TOTAL | 52,056 | ▼-5,257 | 155,720 | ▼-3,448 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – WK 03 (21.01.2024)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | This week | Change prev. wk | 2023 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 667.42 | ▲5 | 600.15 | ▲67 |
| YTD Avg | 662.78 | ▲2 | 625.97 | ▲37 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 13/01/2024 | 608.7 | 605.5 | Old season lamb |
| 20/01/2024 | 610.6 | 608.2 | Old season lamb |
| Change | ▲2 | ▲3 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 749.8 | 746.8 |
Live Sheep Exports 2023
