Livestock Council Report March 2025

1. Market Report

Market Report

• Beef Price: Steers are making from €6.75kg to €6.90/kg. Heifers are making €6.85/kg to €7.00/kg with higher deals for larger lots and increased off season breed bonuses paid. Flat prices up to €7.60kg are been paid. Young Bulls are ranging from €6.90kg to €7.10/kg for R/U grades. Cows are making €6.10kg to €6.70/kg.
• DAFM Reported Prices week ending 02/03//2025: R3 steer prices for the latest week increased 9c/kg to €6.95/kg, R3 heifer price increased by 15c/kg to €6.96/kg. R3 young bull prices increased by 16c/kg to €6.88/kg. O3 grading cows are up 14c/kg to €609/kg, R3 grading cows are up 20c/kg to €6.29/kg.

• Composite prices: The latest Irish prime composite cattle price and the prime Export Benchmark on February 22^nd, 2025 were equivalent to €6.46kg and €6.51/kg deadweight respectfully. 

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM – WK 09 (02.03.2025)
Animal	Number	Change Prev wk.	% of total	YTD	YTD Change
Y Bulls	2,304	▲173	6%	26,915	▲345
Bull	496	▲44	1%	3,263	▼-82
Steer	14,186	▲1,071	36%	111,137	▲1,100
Cow	8,935	▼-749	23%	74,850	▼-7,171
Heifer	12,807	▼-338	33%	106,590	▲9,258
Veal-V	406	▲87	1%	893	▼-4,262
Veal-Z	78	▼-21	0%	914	▲383
Total	39,211	▲267	100%	324,562	▲3,665

• Supplies:  Total throughput to date in 2025 stands at 324,562 head up 3,665 head from the corresponding week in 2023. The Irish cattle kill is projected to be back 5% in 2025. Throughput is expected to back 8% in Q1, 7% in Q2, 2% in Q3 and 2% in Q4. The total kill is projected to fall 87,000 head which is made up of prime cattle 64,000 head, cows 8,000 head and other 15,000 head.
• Market Conditions: Cattle availability for processing has remained tight across much of Europe and the UK and the deadweight cattle trade has continued to perform strongly as a result. The tightness in beef availability combined with stable demand for beef in key export markets has contributed to the recent uplifts in the deadweight beef trade. Prices in GB for R3 steers has increased 5p/kg to 6.48p/kg in the past week. R3 Heifers increased by 5p/kg to 6.46/kg for week ending March 1^st2025. EU young bull prices have steadily increased over the past three weeks and currently stands at 6.34/kg. 
• Live Exports: Live exports of weanling, store, calves and adult cattle have started strong in 2025 proving strong competition in the market for Irish cattle producers. To date 48,694 live cattle have been traded from Ireland which is up 38% on 2024 figures. 11,463 weanlings, 5,308 store cattle and 12,757 finished cattle have been exported to date. 

2.  Review of Bord Bia Origin Green Producer Standard

• IFA continue to engage with Bord Bia on the Origin Green Producer Standard review.
• IFA have raised concerns at the direction of travel of the Bord Bia proposals in relation to all elements of the standard and of the inspection process.
• Further direct engagement with Bord Bia on the issue is planned in the coming weeks.
• IFA are seeking a simplified audit process to reduce the burden of the inspection on farmers.

3.  Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme

• A funding allocation of €52m was provided for the SCEP scheme in 2023 with a payment of €150 per suckler cow available on the first 22 cows and €120/cow on the remainder.
• 16,450 farmers are currently participating in the scheme with an average reference number of 25 cows. There are currently 441,346 cows eligible for payment.
• Following calls from IFA to provide additional SCEP training events the DAFM have provided 11 in person SCEP training events across four provinces in October and November. 
• Payments for the scheme will be made in December 2025.

4.  National Beef Welfare scheme 2025

• IFA have secured an additional €8m towards the National beef welfare scheme for 2025 bringing the total budget to €28m for the national exchequer suckler cow scheme.
• This increase of €8m provides for payments of €75/suckler cow and when combined with the suckler carbon efficiency programme returns of up to €225/suckler cow for 2025.
• IFA raised concerns on the proposed maximum number of eligible animals per farm. IFA have sought the removal of the upper limit on numbers of animals eligible within a herd. The proposed maximum number of eligible animals per farm of 40 must be removed. This is an unfair penalty on the small number of suckler farmers who have over 40 cows, are most likely fulltime farmers solely dependent on their farm for their income.
• The proposed scheme actions include; 
• Action 1 – Meal Feeding: €35 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 40 eligible calves. 
• Action 2 – Vaccination:€15 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 40 eligible calves. Participants must implement a vaccination programme against clostridial diseases and / or calf pneumonia in suckler calves and record details of the vaccination.
• Action 3 – Faecal egg testing and 3 silage samples or 2 faecal egg tests.
• The scheme is proposed to open for application in late Q2 2025
• 100% payments will be made in December 2025.

5. Dairy calf beef scheme 2025

• IFA secured €4m in funding for a new dairy calf beef scheme for 2025.
• The scheme will pay farmers €20/calf up to a maximum 50 calves.
• The proposed scheme will only consist of one action which will involved weighing the calf and upload the weights to ICBF by November 1^st 2025.
• IFA raised concerns on the maximum number of 50 eligible calves which should be reviewed. Some farmers specialising in rearing diary beef calves have made significant investments to rear large numbers of calves, all farmers rearing dairy beef calves should be eligible for the full support payment on all the calves they rear.
• Applications for the scheme are expected to up in early Q2 2025
• 100% payments will issue to participants in December 2025.

6. Changes to ICBF Indices

• IFA secured significant flexibilities to SCEP requirements related to the indices, ensuring no farmers are negatively impacted by the changes in November.
• Effectively animals now have the benefit of both indices to meet the criteria. 
• Female calves born in herds since the new indices were published where they do not meet SCEP eligibility, these animals will be deemed SCEP eligible if the dam was 3,4, or 5 star and the sire 4 and 5 star on the replacement index. They will carry this eligibility when purchased from either a SCEP or non-SCEP herd
• Any female animals whose star rating on the September 2023 index was 4 or 5 star and subsequently dropped on the new index will retain SCEP eligibility when purchased from SCEP and non-SCEP herds for the duration of the scheme.
• The same criteria are applied for Pedigree Bulls which had a 4 or 5 star rating in the September index that dropped on the new index.  These animals will retain SCEP eligible when purchased from SCEP and non-SCEP farms.
• As with the previous scheme animals that attained SCEP eligibility at any point retains this while remaining within the herd of the participant.
• The lower weights issue in the indices has also been addressed, with the minimum weight set at 520kgs at 200 days after calving which equates to a mature cow weight of 570kgs. This will now be incorporated into the indices.
• Work is progressing on the development of an index that reflects weanling production systems
• Discussions are on-going on the inclusion of carbon in the index
• IFA will continue to engage with ICBF with the objective of delivering an index that has the trust and confidence of suckler farmers and pedigree breeders.

7. Mercosur

• IFA’s primary focus remains on ensuring Irish opposition at the European Council level as well as rejection of the deal by Irish MEPs in the European Parliament.
• IFA has secured a commitment from the main Irish Political Party leaders at IFA events in the run up to the General Election to object to any Trade Deal with Mercosur regardless of the form in which it comes.
• IFA has met with the Cabinet of Trade Commissioner Dombrovskis to outline concerns on the economic impact of a potential Mercosur deal on Irish farmers.
• IFA will continue to engage with Irish MEPs to secure a commitment to object to any trade agreement which will undermine the livelihood of Irish livestock farmers.
• IFA is meeting regularly in Brussels with farming organisation representatives from France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy and Romania to exert pressure on other Member State. Governments to stand in unity with European Farmers in objection to any potential Trade Deal.

8. EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation)

• The EUDR prohibits the putting on the market any beef animals or products derived from these animals if they have at any point grazed lands that are deemed to have been deforested.
• The Regulation is due to be enforced from 1^st January 2026. After this date any animals grazed on grounds deemed to have been deforested cannot be sold.
• Deforested grounds potentially include scrubland that has been cleared
• This could have very serious implications for some farmers
• IFA have raised these concerns with DAFM and are seeking further engagement on the issue