Cattle Trade & Prices

Throughput: Cattle throughput totalled 30,168 head last week in DAFM approved plants, taking overall supplies for the year to date to 584,589 head. This is a decline of 85,349 head (-12.7%) from the strong levels recorded in the corresponding 19-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 19% behind year earlier levels. Some of the decline in numbers processed has been offset by a notable improvement in average carcase weights across the board.

Demand for beef in key export markets has continued to come under some pressure in recent weeks. 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 beef in some of our key export markets.

Quotes: Base quotes from most major processors have come back by €0.10 this week with quotes in the region of €6.50/kg for steers, while quotes for heifers are in the region of €6.60/kg. Good quality R grading cows are being quoted at €6.25kg-€6.30/kg this week while €6.20/kg-€6.30/kg is available for well fleshed O grade cows. Better quality P grading cows are being quoted between €5.80/kg-€5.90/kg.

Prices: Tighter supplies of cattle for processing has helped provide some stability to the Irish deadweight trade, with an average price paid for R3 steers during the week ending May 10th of €6.69/kg. This price has remained stable now for four consecutive weeks. Meanwhile after several months of relative stability, the UK deadweight cattle trade has come under some downward pressure with reported prices coming back in both GB and NI. The average R3 steer price in the UK last week was the equivalent of €7.07/kg, back €0.09/kg from the previous week, marking the sixth consecutive week in which reported prices have come back in euro terms. This has contributed to a narrowing in the price differential between the two regions by €0.8/kg over the same six week period. The UK price has a differential over the Irish R3 steer price of €0.38/kg currently

Meanwhile the beef trade in some European markets is also experiencing price pressure, with the latest available EU average price of R3 grading young bulls decreasing by €0.10/kg to €6.79/kg. There have been notable declines in reported R3 young bull prices in France (-€0.12/kg) and Germany (-€0.15/kg).

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

Live Exports

The live cattle trade has picked up in recent weeks with almost 13,000 cattle leaving the country in the week ending 10 May 2026. Improved weather conditions and a steady demand for cattle in key export markets have supported the level of export. The short term outlook remains firm with exporters still very active in the market sourcing a range of suitable cattle to fulfil export contracts. Year to date there have been 189,879 cattle traded, and while this is 16 per cent lower than the record levels seen in early 2025 it is very similar to the corresponding period in 2023 and 2024.

Calves continue to dominate the live trade, as is typical for the time of the year given our seasonal calving pattern. There were just over 11,200 calves traded last week, accounting for 85 per cent of the trade. The Netherlands, Spain and Italy continue to be the key destinations for Irish calves although there are some growing opportunities emerging in some other markets.

The trade with Northern Ireland was more subdued last week due to the bank holiday however 1,100 cattle still made the journey northwards. This was the lowest levels of export to the region recorded since Bluetongue restrictions were lifted in early March this year. While the longer term outlook for live cattle trading remains challenging the latest forecasts for cattle supplies in mainland Europe remain subdued, with the long term contraction in the European cattle herd expected to continue. This should help support steady demand for Irish cattle in the short to medium term.