The best prices for prime beef grading R3 anywhere in the EU were paid in Northern Ireland last week, where R3 steers were making 398c/kg equivalent, 1c/kg more than in Sweden for R3 young bulls and 2c/kg better than Britain.

Irish R3 steer prices are gradually closing the gap on the EU average, although this reflects a stagnant market in the EU, with very modest price increases in Ireland. The Irish R3 steer price was 358c/kg, which is 9ckg lower than the EU average young bull price of 367c/kg.

The Spanish R3 steer price is now below the Irish at 359c/kg, as is the Dutch price of 328c/kg. Elsewhere, the French price remains stable at 392c/kg, while the German R3 price is 377c/kg.

Heifers

For R3 heifers, the Italian price of 414c/kg was the best in the EU last week, with the Northern Irish price next best at the equivalent of 399c/kg, which is 4c/kg better than the British price of 395c/kg equivalent.

The Swedish price was the equivalent of 392c/kg, with the French just behind on 389c/kg for R3 grading heifers and the Spanish average was 381c/kg.

The EU average was 372c/kg, while the Irish price at 365c/kg was the lowest compared with what was paid in all our major export markets.

Cows

Sweden is the top cow market in the EU at the equivalent of 361c/kg for O3 cows, while France is just ahead of the North on 297c/kg, with the price in Northern Ireland was the equivalent of 295c/kg. This is well ahead of Britain, where the price was the equivalent of 283c/kg.

Italy returned an average of 279c/kg, which was 2c/kg better than Germany on 277c/kg, while the Irish O3 cow price of 274c/kg was 2c/kg better than the EU average of 272c/kg. Spanish cows averaged 257c/kg while the Netherlands had the lowest price of 220c/kg.

Read more

Beef prices: quotes unchanged at €3.60/kg base

NI trends: cattle quotes holding steady but hogget prices rising