While the current Irish beef price looks positive, and is ahead of this time last year, Irish factories are still at the bottom of the EU beef price league.

Last week’s Irish R3 bullock beef price was €4.67/kg, 27c/kg behind the EU average of €4.94/kg. Ireland is second from the bottom, with just the Italian young bull price at €4.36/kg below it.

It is also worth noting that the Irish R3 steer is 48c/kg behind what is being paid for the same product in Britain and 74c/kg behind the German beef price, the highest-priced beef market in Europe at present.

Polish beef, the vast majority of which is young bull beef from the dairy herd, currently sits 5c/kg ahead of the Irish price.

Base price quotes have improved this week, ranging from €4.50-€4.60/kg for bullocks and €4.65-€4.75/kg for heifers, with flat deals of as high as €5.20/kg being completed for Aberdeen Angus heifers.

The cow trade is also up, with R grading cows now being bought at €4.40/kg in some factories. Last week’s kill fell 727 head after a similar fall the week before.

A strong food service trade across the UK and EU is fuelling demand for manufacturing beef.