This is a subscriber-only article
There was no improvement in beef prices across the EU for the week ending 13 October.
In that week, the average R3 young bull price was 353c/kg. This is 30c/kg more than the Irish R3 young bull price of 323/kg and it is also ahead of the average Irish R3 steer price of 346/kg.
Steers/young bulls
The British R3 steer price was the equivalent of 369c/kg while the gap back to their R3 young bull price was just 16c/kg at 353c/kg equivalent. The Swedish price of 390/kg equivalent for R3 young bulls remains the best in Ireland’s main export markets, with France next best on 374/kg for R3 young bulls, followed by Germany at 369c/kg. Italy was on 361c/kg for R3 young bulls while the Spanish young bull price of 346c/kg is the same as the Irish R3 steer price.
The most recent global prices available from the European Commission Meat Market Observatory are for 19 September. For cattle similar to EU R3 steers, the going price in the US was the equivalent of 332c/kg, the same as for Australia, with Argentina back on 225c/kg and Brazil on 216c/kg.
Heifers
The EU R3 heifer price was 365c/kg last week, 9c/kg better than the Irish price of 356c/kg. In Britain, R3 heifers were making the equivalent of 368c/kg while Sweden was top on the equivalent of €3.90c/kg, closely followed by France on 388c/kg for R3 heifers.
There is then a gap to Spain, where the R3 heifer price was 373c/kg. Italy, which is usually one of the EU’s top markets for heifers, was paying just 361c/kg on average last week. R3 cattle aren’t very common in the Netherlands, which is very much a dairy-based livestock country, and the R3 price there was at just 312c/kg for young bulls and 322c/kg for heifers.
Cows
The Irish O3 cow price is also below the EU average of 277c/kg by 3c/kg on 274c/kg, though it is 3c/kg ahead of the British price, which is the equivalent of 271c/kg.
On the continent, the top price is again in Sweden, where the equivalent of 353c/kg was paid last week, followed by France where the average price for O3 cows was 311c/kg. Next is the Netherlands where 276c/kg was paid, closely followed by Germany on 274c/kg. Italy was paying 267c/kg while Spain is back on 2.53c/kg.
SHARING OPTIONS: