A number of the larger beef processors have moved this week to ensure that their feedlots will have cattle ready for the factory ahead of the high-volume Christmas market.

The move has injected more life into an already buoyant trade, with bullock prices seeing big gains in marts this week.

Prime cattle supplies have seen a huge drop in the last four weeks, with the prime cattle kill back over 10,000 head for the first four weeks of August compared with the same period in 2023.

Ireland’s two largest markets for beef, the UK and Europe, have seen increased demand in recent weeks for mince and barbecue meats. This, along with tighter supplies and lighter carcase weights, is driving beef prices.

The latest Bord Bia beef market tracker shows the prime export benchmark price at €5.40/kg, 12c/kg ahead of the average Irish price.

Finished cattle numbers are also in tight supply in Northern Ireland, with factory agents scrambling this week for cattle.