The beef trade remains similar to last week, with prices of £3.30 to £3.35/kg being paid on R4L grading animals.

Last week’s official ADHB price report indicates the average price paid for R4L animals is down 1p to £3.44/kg for an R4 steer.

Same-grade heifers are also down by 1p/kg on the week to £3.42/kg, while R grading bulls increased by 1p to £3.19/kg. Cows grading O-4L were down 5p to £2.39/kg.

The deadweight lamb price is holding steady on £3.70 to £3.75/kg for R grading animals. Finished sheep sold through the live ring have eased, with prices down by 3p/kg to £1.59/kg for medium-weight lambs.

Heavier lambs were down 3p/kg to £1.54/kg. In total, 21,275 lambs were sold through the prime live ring, which is an increase of 3,000 head on the week. Over 8,900 ewes were sold, which is an increase of 200 on the previous week, with an average price of £50/head, down £2/head on the week.

United Auctions held the biggest sale last week, with over 5,000 store lambs sold to an average of £53/head.

Across Scotland, continental lambs made £51/head, down £2/ head. Cheviot lambs averaged £43, up £1/ head and Blackface animals averaged £38, up £1/head.

The national average for store lambs was £47/head, down by £4/head for the 15,996 lambs sold last week, which is a drop of almost 10,000 on the previous week.

The number of store cattle sold through the ring more than doubled on the week to 11,535 head. United Auctions and St Boswells both sold over 2,000 head, with the national average on £793/head, up £53 on the week.