Northern View: prices paid remain well ahead of quotes

Quotes for clean U-3 grading cattle have increased again this week to a best of 656p for steers and 660p for heifers.

When compared with last week, it is an increase in top quotes of around 20p/kg.

While the prices actually being paid are not up to that extent, they are still 10p/kg higher than last week and remain well ahead of the base quotes on offer.

Farmers report that prices around 680p to 684p/kg for U-3 grades are freely available to regular suppliers.

That is an increase of 200p/kg on the same week last year and around 160p/kg more than what was being paid at the start of 2025.

Since the start of February, NI factories have cut the gap in prices paid to Britain from over 50p/kg to around 30p to 35p/kg.

That has reduced the incentive to take NI cattle across the Irish Sea for direct slaughter, with no animals making that trip in the last two weeks.

However, prices in Britain continue to surge on, with the price paid for steers and heifers generally up by 10p/kg last week.

The price paid for U3 grading steers and heifers across Britain last week averaged over 700p/kg for the first time. In Scotland, U3 heifers averaged over 715p/kg.

In NI, U3 steers were at 673.1p/kg last week, up 14.5p, with U3 heifers at 671.5p/kg, up 12.1p.

ROI price

While NI prices have continued to move upwards, there has been a steadying in the Republic of Ireland, where recent strong increases saw prices get to within 20p/kg of what was being paid in NI.

The ROI price has not been helped by the weakening of sterling against the euro over recent days.

Last week saw 383 Irish cattle imported into NI for direct slaughter.

Cows

The trade for cull cows remains exceptionally strong. Base quotes are at a best of 534p for an O+ cow and to 544p for an R grade.

However, much more is available, with R3 grading cows in NI averaging 576.5p/kg last week, with R4 grades at 580p/kg, up nearly 20p/kg on the previous week.

NI sheep: hogget trade steadies

The prices paid in the marts have steadied this week, while factories have held their quotes at 710p, making a hogget worth £163.30 at the 23kg limit.

In Gortin, a sharp trade had heavy hoggets at 30kg selling from £180 to £200/head. Middleweights made from £148 to £163.50.

A very big show in Kilrea saw 1,400 hoggets selling from 684p to 750p/kg, no change on last week.

Hoggets at 20kg made to £146 (730p/kg), while those at 22kg made £160 (727p).

In Markethill, a show of 760 head sold from 650p to 755p/kg, little change on last week. Hoggets at 24.5kg made £161, or 657p/kg.

In Saintfield 735 hoggets sold from 645p to 710p/kg, little change on last week. In Ballymena a steady trade saw hoggets at 22kg making £158, or 718p/kg, with 23.5kg at £169, or 719p/kg. Lighter sorts at 18kg made £118, 661p/kg.

Fat ewes

In Gortin, the best ewes made £306/head, while others made from £190 to £285.

And in Kilrea, ewes sold to £264/head.

In Saintfield, the top was £295 for Texels with a run from £180 to £278/head.