After a sustained period of price cuts, beef quotes seem to have bottomed out, with some positivity back in the trade again this week.

Factory agents are back on the hunt for cattle again. A number of processors have moved up their quotes on Monday, with more standing on at last week’s quotes.

Heifers have moved up to €7.20/kg in some locations, with a base price on the table of €7.10/kg for bullocks in the same factories.

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Most processors remain on a base price of €7/kg for bullocks and €7.10/kg for heifers, with more available to bigger suppliers and regular customers.

There is still some pressure on breed bonuses, with some factories sighting ample supplies of Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle, meaning that the bonus isn’t as critical in securing supplies anymore.

This week’s bonuses range from 10c to 20c, with processors reluctant to go any higher.

One farmer who had killed cattle the week before Christmas in-factory in the east had been told in no uncertain terms to not arrive back with anything until the end of January.

He told the Irish Farmers Journal last week that the same agent was ringing last Thursday to see if he could bring a load of cattle in on Monday.

That appears to be the sentiment in a number of locations, with agents anxious for cattle.

Cow trade

The cow trade has also steadied, with R grading cows being priced at €6.80/kg to €6.90/kg.

U grading cows are still trading at €7/kg to €7.10/kg, while O grading cows are being bought for €6.60/kg to €6.70/kg.

P+3 cows are back a little further, with some factories trying to purchase P+3 cows at €6.20/kg to €6.30/kg.

The mart is still the best place to go if farmers have small numbers of cows to sell.

Bulls have probably held the best out of all categories of stock, with R grading bulls still coming in at €7.25/kg and U grading bulls at €7.40/kg.

Specialised bull finishers have been able to squeeze a little more out of some processors.

Under-16-month bulls are working off a €7/kg to €7.10/kg base price to go on the grid.

Heavy cattle

The mart trade for heavy cattle has also taken a lift in the last few days. Central Auctions in Roscrea held its annual fatstock show and sale last Friday, with big demand for finished cattle.

The top third of heifers in the 600kg-plus weight category exceeded €5/kg, with the average price coming in at over €4.50/kg.

Friday’s mart returns in Roscrea would far exceed factory returns at the moment, with €8/kg needed to break even on some of the cattle.

Similar has been happening in other mart sales that recommenced last week around the country, with fleshed cows also in particular demand.

Last week’s kill came in at 31,083 head, very similar to the same week’s kill in 2025. This was the first full-week kill of 2026.

There was just over 10,500 bullocks killed, along with the same number of heifers. The cow kill remains low at just under 6,000 head.

Prices remain steady across the water, with tight supplies of finished cattle underpinning prices in the UK market. R4L bullocks are coming in at €6.50/kg (€7.80/kg incl VAT)

International markets

Further afield, European farmers are watching with interest the growth of the Mercosur countries’ cattle slaughtering.

Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay slaughtered 48.5 million cattle in 2025, up 3.5% year on year and up 27% on the kill in 2021.

The Mercosur kill has increased by 10 million head in the last four years, with much of this increased production destined for prime export markets.

Focusing on Brazil, it slaughtered an extra 1.8 million cattle in 2025 when compared with 2024, more than the national Irish kill in 2025.