Northern View: beef continues to set new price records

There is no change in the upward momentum within the local beef trade, with quotes for clean cattle up by another 6p/kg to a best of 626p/kg for both steers and heifers.

However, much more is available from the market, with new price records being set week on week.

By the end of last week, 650p/kg was being paid for U-3 grading prime cattle and by the middle of this week, reports suggest regular suppliers were doing deals at prices around the 660p/kg mark, with slightly more available for in-spec heifers.

Numbers are tight, with some farmers holding back so that their next sales fall into the new tax year.

Prices paid

Last week saw prices paid up by around 10p/kg on the previous week, with NI steers averaging 635.7p/kg and heifers at 635.1p/kg.

U3 grading steers averaged 647.9p/kg, with U3 heifers at 647.1p/kg.

However, those prices are still over 40p/kg short of what is being paid in Britain and 50p/kg behind Scotland, where last week’s prices paid for U3 grades was just shy of 700p/kg.

That price gap continues to attract some cattle to move from NI to Britain for direct slaughter, with 82 head shipped last week.

The beef trade in the Republic of Ireland is also rising each week, with another 20c/kg added to quotes.

Reports suggest that flat deals are being done as high as €8/kg, which equates to NI prices around the 640p/kg mark.

Last week, 369 Irish cattle were imported for direct slaughter in NI, which was the second-lowest weekly total since the start of the year.

The kill in NI last week finished at 9,213 head, which was the lowest weekly kill since late January 2025.

Cows

Given the very strong mart trade for fat cows, the plants have pushed up quotes to 510p for an O+ cow and to 520p for an R grade. However, more is available, with farmers reporting prices of 510p for P+ animals and 530p/kg for O+.

Last week, the price paid for R3 grading cows averaged 554.8p/kg, up 10.5p/kg on the previous week.

NI sheep: rebound in hogget trade

Prices paid for hoggets in the marts have rebounded this week by up to 60p/kg halfweight.

In the plants, quotes are up by 10p to 690p deadweight, making a hogget worth £158.70 at the 23kg limit.

In Gortin, an outstanding trade had heavy hoggets at 30kg selling from £168 to £171/head. Middleweights made from £150 to £171. Best of the lighter lots saw 22kg making 661p at £145.50, with 21.3kg at 678p, £144.50.

There was a stronger trade in Kilrea for 800 hoggets and finished sorts sold from 659p to 712p/kg, up by 42p/kg. Hoggets at 24.5kg made £165 or 674p/kg, with 24kg at £162, 675p and 23kg at £157.50 or 675p.

In Markethill, 570 head sold from 630p to 668p/kg, up by 60p on last week.

The trade in Saintfield was also improved and 485 hoggets sold from 600p to 711p/kg, up by 15p/kg.

In Ballymena a good trade saw hoggets at 27kg making £164.50, with 24kg at £158 and 22.5kg at £147. Lighter hoggets at 22.5kg made £152 with 21.5kg at £150.

Fat ewes

Fat ewes continue to sell very well.

In Gortin, the best ewes made £250 and in Kilrea, ewes sold to £238/head.

Markethill had 300 culls and good ewes made from £180 to £304. Plainer ewes sold from £120 to £150/head.

In Saintfield, the top was £298 for Texels, with a run from £180 to £236/head, and, in Rathfriland it was £288.