The beef trade continues to exceed all expectations, with quotes up again this week on the back of low supplies and huge demand in our main markets.

Bullocks have moved up to a high of €6.30/kg base price, with heifers at a €6.30-€6.40/kg base price. When bonuses are added, this brings a lot of cattle close to the €7/kg mark, with flat deals completed this week at €7/kg for Aberdeen Angus heifers.

Cull cows have also taken a jump in price, with the equivalent of €6.40/kg deadweight being paid for top-quality cull cows in marts this week.

It’s not just Ireland that is seeing a lift in prices, with all of our main markets also experiencing a huge lift in prices since Christmas.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, IFA livestock chair Declan Hanrahan said: “Supplies of cattle are not available in the UK, EU or Ireland to meet the level of demand for beef, and factories have no choice but to compete for the supplies on offer to retain customers.”

According to Bord Bia, a huge gulf of €1.09/kg remains between the Irish beef price and the UK beef price, with the UK market currently seeing gains of 10-15p/kg a week since early 2025. The prime Irish composite export price has moved up 51c/kg in the last eight weeks. Current indications are that there is nothing on the horizon to disrupt the trade in the short term.

Mart managers are becoming increasingly concerned at the level of money involved now on sale days. Some mart groups are heading for €5-7m turnover in a week, with smaller marts doing over €1m on sale days. The level of risk being taken on for long-keep cattle is huge, with weanlings up €300-400/head on the same sales in 2024 – and that’s before grass season starts next month.