Beef Update
IFA livestock chair Brendan Golden said supplies of beef in the UK market are running 7% below last years levels with prices in this key market rising, providing the opportunity for higher beef price returns. He said the EU young bull prices are also performing strongly and when combined with the UK price in the Prime Export Benchmark price of €4.98/kg it is leaving a gap of 17c/kg with our price. Brendan said beef prices are continuing to edge upwards but have a journey to travel to close out the 17c/kg gap. He said demand for beef in our key markets and the absence of South American imports puts Irish beef in a very strong position and this must be returned in prices to farmers.
Beef Price Update 28/04/2022
Steer Base €4.80/4.95kg. Heifers €4.85/5.00kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €4.80/5.10Kg. Cows €4.20/4.80kg
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 15 (24.04.2022)
| Animal | Number | Change prev. wk. | % of total | YTD | YTD Change |
| Y Bulls | 1,969 | ▲55 | 6% | 47,652 | ▲1,187 |
| Bull | 608 | ▲18 | 2% | 8,468 | ▲1,250 |
| Steer | 12,628 | ▼-874 | 38% | 198,838 | ▲17,143 |
| Cow | 8,242 | ▲225 | 25% | 122,232 | ▲22,498 |
| Heifer | 9,477 | ▼-444 | 28% | 164,712 | ▲11,613 |
| Veal-V | 445 | ▼-558 | 1% | 26,967 | ▲6,874 |
| Veal-Z | 40 | ▼-7 | 0% | 680 | ▼-17 |
| Total | 33,409 | ▼-1,585 | 100% | 569,549 | ▲60,548 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 15 (24.04.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | U3 | Change prev wk | R3 | Changeprev wk | O3 | Change prev wk | P+3 | Changeprev wk |
| Steers | 521 | ▲3 | 512 | ▲4 | 500 | ▲3 | 469 | ▲2 |
| Heifers | 527 | ▲1 | 515 | ▲2 | 507 | ▲4 | 459 | ▲3 |
| Y Bulls | 508 | ▲6 | 497 | ▲6 | 476 | ▲5 | 462 | ▲4 |
| Cows | 0 | ▲0 | 466 | ▲0 | 438 | ▲5 | 422 | ▲4 |
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 |
| 16.04.2022 | 443.1 | 444.9 | 443.9 | 446 | 434.8 | 436 | 374.8 |
| 23.04.2022 | 443.4 | 446.1 | 437.9 | 444.2 | 447.2 | 438.0 | 439.5 |
| Change | ▲0 | ▲1 | ▲0 | ▲1 | ▲5 | ▼-0 | ▲0 |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 557.4 | 560.8 | 558.4 | 562.2 | 552.5 | 547.7 | 471.7 |
Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)
| Country & Type | 18.04.2020 | 17.04.2021 | 16.04.2022 |
| EU + Y Bulls | € 3.44 | € 3.80 | € 5.13 |
| IE + Steers | € 3.41 | € 3.97 | € 4.82 |
| UK + Steers | € 3.74 | € 4.66 | € 5.19 |
Sheep Update
IFA Sheep committee chairman Kevin Comiskey said demand from factories is improving for spring lamb and must be reflected in prices offered to farmers. He said current sheep prices are lagging behind last years prices by up to 50c/kg despite the input cost increases sheep farmers are faced with. The IFA sheep chairman said hogget and spring lamb prices have strengthened in the UK market and our factories must follow suit with meaningful price increases for spring lamb and hoggets. He said sheep farmers do not have the resources to absorb the current production costs and factories must do more to reflect the cost of production in hogget and lamb price.
Lamb Price Update 28/04/2022
Hogget €7.20/7.50/kg. Spr lamb €8.00/8.40/kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.80/4.00/kg.
Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – Week 15 (24.04.2022)
| Animal | Figure | Change | YTD | YTD Change |
| Lambs/Hoggets | 38,657 | ▼-10,026 | 741,559 | ▲119,036 |
| Spring Lambs | 6,110 | ▲1,266 | 16,014 | ▼-1,435 |
| Ewes and Rams | 4,956 | ▲197 | 80,151 | ▼-3,934 |
| Light Lambs | 1 | ▼-13 | 41 | ▼-53 |
| TOTAL | 49,724 | ▼-8,576 | 837,765 | ▲113,614 |
Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM – Week 15 (24.04.2022)
| c/kg (Incl. VAT) | WK 15 | Change prev wk | 2021 | Change prev. yr |
| National Avg Price | 733.33 | ▲4 | 766.91 | ▼-34 |
| YTD Avg | 693.40 | ▲3 | 668.25 | ▲25 |
Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB
| R3L | Overall SQQ* | Type of lamb | |
| 16/04/2022 | 600.6 | 595.4 | Old season |
| 23/04/2022 | 602.9 | 597.9 | Old season |
| Change | ▲2 | ▲3 | |
| Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) | 757.9 | 751.6 |
