IFA - Irish Farmers Association

06/10/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/10/2023 06:12

Beef & Sheep Update 10th June

Beef Update

IFA Livestock Chairman Brendan Golden said beef farmers with cattle to sell now have made huge investments to have these cattle for factories at this time of year. Without these committed beef finishers, factories would not be able to service our key markets with guaranteed weekly supplies of beef. "Clearly, factories have arrangements in place with some of their larger suppliers but it is not acceptable that smaller scale beef finishers are forced into taking lower prices and incurring prolonged costs on their farms," he said. UK prices remain strong, beef supplies across Europe are tight and indications are for further tightening of supplies here and in our key markets in the coming weeks and months. He said factories and Bord Bia must do more to ensure farmers production costs are fully reflected in beef prices. "These are the some of the same farmers who will incur significant cuts in their Basic Payments putting the viability of these production systems under threat through a combination of processor and supermarket power, market failures and EU farm policy direction," he said. He said as it stands the viability of these farms is more dependent than ever on market returns and factories can and must do more in this space by ensuring beef prices reflect the costs farmers have incurred in finishing cattle in sheds.

Beef Price Update 08/06/2023

Base Quotes Steer €5.05/5.15kg. Heifers €5.10/5.20kg. Higher deals and flat prices for larger and specialist lots. Y Bulls R/U €5.00/5.40Kg. Cows €4.30/4.90kg.

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM - WK 22 (04.06.2023)

Animal Number Change prev wk % of total YTD YTD Change
Y Bulls 3450 ▲440 11% 56858 ▼-8,664
Bull 636 ▲31 2% 11541 ▼-497
Steer 11779 ▲150 37% 263057 ▼-11,195
Cow 7502 ▼-113 23% 163998 ▼-6,688
Heifer 8651 ▼-193 27% 210429 ▼-9,270
Veal-V 5 ▲2 0% 30387 ▲2,519
Veal-Z 36 ▼-5 0% 946 ▲4
Total 32059 ▲312 100% 737216 ▼-33,791

Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM - WK 22 (04.06.2023)

c/kg(Incl. VAT) U3 Change prev wk R3 Change prev wk O3 Change prev wk P+3 Change prev wk
Steers 554 ▼-6 544 ▼-4 565 ▲30 495 ▼-8
Heifers 565 ▼-2 548 ▼-4 536 ▼-6 486 ▼-5
Y Bulls 548 ▼-1 532 ▲0 506 ▼-8 494 ▲1
Cows 0 ▲0 484 ▼-3 445 ▼-10 430 ▼-11

Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB

Steers Steers Heifers Heifers Y bull Y bull Cow
p/kg R3 R4L R3 R4L R3 R4L -O4L
27/05/2023 499.7 503.9 499.6 503.2 495.5 496.6 411.9
03/06/2023 496.6 500.7 491.7 495.3 499.7 489.1 492.1
Change ▼-3 ▼-3 ▼-4 ▼-4 ▼-3 ▼-3 ▲0
Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) 617.0 622.0 615.3 620.8 611.4 612.7 511.7

Euro Price for the Most Recent Week (€/KG Deadweight excl. VAT)

Country & Type 29.05.2021 28.05.2022 03.06.2023
EU + Y Bulls € 3.83 € 4.98 € 4.90
IE + Steers € 4.13 € 5.26 € 5.19
UK + Steers € 4.60 € 5.19 € 5.67

Live Exports W/C 22.05.2023

[Link]Source: Bord Bia

Sheep Update

IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said spring lamb numbers remain tight on the ground and demand for sheep meat will increase as the Eid al Adha festival approaches later this month.

He said hogget supplies continue to drop off and with no surge of spring lambs coming to market factories are struggling to match supplies with market demand.

He said spring lambs are making from €7.50kg to €7.80kg with deals on weights to 21kg available. Hogget's are making €6.90kg to €7.20kg with higher deals for groups and larger lots. Cull ewes are ranging from 3.30kg to €3.80kg in general. The IFA Chairman said farmers should sell hard and consider the mart outlet where competition from live exporters, factory agents and butchers is increasing for finished lambs.

Lamb Price Update 08/06/2023

Hogget €6.90/7.20/kg. Spr Lamb €7.50/7.80/kg. Higher deals groups/larger lots. Ewes €3.30/3.80/kg.

Supply Figures as Reported by DAFM - WK 22 (04.06.2023)

Animal Figure Change YTD YTD Change
Lambs/Hoggets 18373 ▲0 919879 ▲54,422
Spring Lambs 25659 ▲0 90810 ▼-25,528
Ewes and Rams 5494 ▲0 110728 ▼-267
Light Lambs 3 ▲0 106 ▲43
TOTAL 49529 ▲0 1121523 ▲28,670

Official Irish Prices as Reported by DAFM - WK 22 (04.06.2023)

c/kg(Incl. VAT) WK 22 Change prev. wk 2022 Change prev. yr
National Avg Price 741.92 ▼-11 782.08 ▼-40
YTD Avg 668.41 ▲4 710.70 ▼-42

Official GB Prices as Reported by AHDB

R3L Overall SQQ* Type of lamb
27/05/2023 732.3 732.9 New season lamb
03/06/2023 707.3 709.1 New season lamb
Change ▼-25 ▼-24
Price in c/kg (Incl VAT) 878.7 881.0

Live Sheep Exports 01.04.2023

[Link]Source: Bord Bia