Scottish prime cattle prices reach record amid strong demand
Prime cattle prices in Scotland surged to unprecedented levels in the first half of September, driven by a seasonal reduction in beef production and strong demand.
The price of R4L grade steers reached £5.17 per kilogram deadweight (dwt) during the second week of September at Scottish abattoirs.
This marked a 5 percent increase compared to the same week in 2023 and 23% above the five-year average.
After a dip in prices between March and June, a rebound of more than 7% was observed over the following three months, with three-quarters of the rise occurring from late July onwards.
This period of rising prices coincided with seasonally low slaughter rates for prime cattle, with the number of animals reported for deadweight pricing across Britain remaining below the weekly average from the first half of the year throughout July and August.
Although numbers have started to increase again, the supply was still lower than earlier in the year in the first half of September.
Iain Macdonald, market intelligence manager at Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), said this significant rise in prime cattle prices reflected intense competition among processors, as they compete for cattle while the weekly slaughter rate begins to trend upwards.
“This is coupled with a general uplift in UK beef production during the first eight months of the year compared to 2023,” he explained.
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