The 2025 beef trade has started off on a very strong footing, with quotes up across the board.

Smaller independent factories are particularly feeling the brunt of reduced numbers of marts this week and have had to increase quotes to get cattle.

The bigger players generally have back-up in the form of feedlots, which they can pull from in times of shortage, but they are also hungry for cattle.

Bullocks are working off a base price of €5.60/kg to €5.65/kg, while heifers are being quoted at €5.70/kg to €5.75/kg.

Higher base prices of €5.85/kg to €5.90/kg are being paid by some independent factories to get cattle this week.

Flat prices of €6.10/kg and over it where numbers are involved are on the table for in-spec Aberdeen Angus heifers.

Up to €6.30/kg is achievable for Aberdeen Angus heifers when sold through specific processor clubs.

Well-fleshed cows continue to be in big demand, with the manufacturing beef trade continuing on a strong footing.

Well-fleshed cows are also in short supply at the moment, with a lot of cows already sold on the back of positive prices at the back end of 2024.

O+ suckler cows are generally working off €5.10/kg to €5.20/kg, while O grading dairy cows are being bought at €5.00/kg to €5.10/kg, depending on the factory.

R grading cows are being quoted at €5.35/kg to €5.40/kg and higher money is available where numbers are involved.

P+3 cows are working off €4.90/kg to €5.00/kg, depending on weight, age and flesh.

Well-fleshed U grading cows continue to command top prices of €5.50/kg to €5.60/kg and over for young, fleshed heavy cows.

Bulls

Under-24-month bulls are still working off a €5.80/kg to €5.90/kg base price for U grading bulls and higher where larger numbers are involved.

Flat prices of €6/kg and over it is on the table where big numbers are involved.

R grading bulls are coming in at €5.70/kg to €5.80/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought at €5.50/kg to €5.60/kg.

Under-16-month bulls are working off a base price of €5.60/kg before any QA bonus or grid payments are added.

The first week’s kill of 2025 came in at 30,076, up marginally on the same week in 2024.

The young bull kill is higher than expected at 295 head for the first week of 2025.

It’s a different story when we compare the 2023 kill versus the 2024 kill. The young bull kill reduced by 11,585 head – almost a 10% reduction on the 2023 number.

The bullock kill was back by almost 2% or 12,556 head to 681,377.

The cow kill took an unexpected lift in 2024 with nitrates issues forcing disposals on some farms, especially in the south of the country.

The continued decline in the suckler herd also drove numbers. The cow kill finished up 7% or almost up 30,000 head on the 2023 number.

Calf slaughtering dropped by almost 10,000 head in 2024, down 32% on 2023 to just over 20,000 head in 2024.

Numbers of cattle moving north for slaughter have dropped off in recent weeks. There were just over 26,000 cattle exported for direct slaughter in 2024, with the current price differential expected to drive numbers in 2025 as well.

Beef quotes across the water continue to improve, with quotes up 10p to 15p/kg from before Christmas. Some large feeders have been able to get £5.65/kg (€7.18/kg incl VAT) for in-spec stock this week, which is a big improvement on pre-Christmas quotes. A gap of over €1/kg remains between the English and Irish beef price.

NI comment

Quotes are on 516p/kg (€6.51/kg inc VAT) for U3 cattle, although 530p/kg (€6.69/kg) is widely available as a starting price with 4p to 10p/kg more on offer depending on numbers. Good-quality cows are on 420p to 450p/kg (€5.30 to €5.68/kg).