Cattle Trade & Prices

Throughput: Cattle throughput totalled 32,085 head last week in DAFM approved plants, taking overall supplies for the year to date to 336,865 head. This is a decline of 63,524 head (-15.8%) from the strong levels recorded in the corresponding 11-week period in 2025.  All categories of cattle have recorded a decline in throughput YTD relative to 2025, with the strongest decline noted in cow throughput which is operating 22% behind year earlier levels. Some of the decline in numbers processed has been offset by a notable improvement in average carcase weights.

Demand for beef in key export markets has remained sluggish over recent weeks. While lower demand is reported across practically all cuts, higher value steak cuts have experienced the most notable declines. The impact of inflationary pressures on consumers, increasing availability of non-European beef in certain markets and growing competition from competitively priced pork and poultry products have had a detrimental effect on the demand for Irish beef in some of our key export markets.

Quotes: Quotes from most major processors have come back by 10c, with starting quotes for steers now at €6.70/kg with heifers in the region of €6.80-€6.85/kg. Good quality R grading cows are being quoted at €6.40/kg-€6.50/kg this week while €6.20/kg-€6.30/kg is available for well fleshed O grade cows. P grading cows are being quoted between €6.00/kg-€6.20/kg.

Prices: The downward pressure on base quotes for prime cattle has also been reflected in the official prices recorded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The average price paid for R3 steers for the week ending March 15^th was €6.92/kg, representing a decline of 9c/kg from the previous week. This marked the fourth consecutive week in which reported prices declined and takes the price below the €7/kg for the first time since March 2025. Ironically it was the corresponding week last year when the Irish R3 steer price first passed the €7/kg mark, with the beef market at the time in strong upward trajectory.

After several weeks of relative stability, the UK deadweight cattle trade has started to come under some downward pressure with reported prices back in both GB and NI. The average R3 steer price in the UK last week was the equivalent of €7.36/kg, back 4c/kg from the previous week. The differential over the Irish R3 steer price however has been maintained at 45c/kg.

Meanwhile the beef trade in some European markets is also experiencing price pressure, with the EU average price of R3 grading young bulls decreasing by 5c/kg to €7.28/kg in the most recent week. While the trade in France and Germany has remained steady, there have been notable declines in reported R3 young bull prices in Spain (-17c/kg) and Poland (-15c/kg). Despite the downward pressure in the European trade more recently the EU average price has maintained a differential over Irish prices for 13 consecutive weeks. The EU average R3 young bull price is currently 37c/kg higher than the Irish R3 steer price.

Note that reported prices exclude VAT but include all bonus payments (in-spec bonus, breed-based producer groups etc).

Live Exports

Poor weather conditions impacted ferry availability in the early months of 2026 and this had a negative impact on the number of cattle being traded with mainland Europe. The confirmation of Bluetongue in Ireland has also had a negative influence on the live animal trade, most notably with Northern Ireland, Poland and some North African markets. However significant progress has been made in removing restrictions to trade in the last few weeks.

More settled weather and improved access to ferries as a result has contributed to a firm uplift in the number of cattle being traded. There were 10,383 cattle exported out of the jurisdiction last week with calves accounting for 80% of the trade. Netherlands, Spain and Italy remain the primary outlets for Irish calves with smaller numbers traded with Northern Ireland, Hungary and Croatia last week. The lifting of bluetongue restrictions on the movement of cattle to farms meant the trade of older animals was dominated by Northern Ireland last week with almost 1,300 weanling, store and adult cattle making the journey northwards.

Despite the slow start the demand for Irish cattle in European markets remains relatively firm on the back of declining domestic availability and the impact of disease restrictions to trade in some of our key markets. There have been 51,088 cattle traded during the first eleven weeks of the year, a notable decline from the 89,390 cattle traded in the same period last year.