Cattle Prices Ease as Sheep Values Stay Firm
Cattle Prices Slip as Sheep Values Remain Historically High
Cattle prices fell across all major categories in the latest AHDB weekly market wrap, as weaker consumer demand continued to feed through to farmgate values.
For the week ending 2 May, the GB all-prime deadweight cattle average fell by 8p to 620p/kg. Steers were down 7p to 621p/kg, heifers fell 9p to 620p/kg, and young bulls eased 4p to 605p/kg. Prime cattle slaughter was broadly stable at 33,500 head, just 100 head lower than the previous week.
Cow prices also weakened, with the average down 12p to 507p/kg. Cow numbers remained limited at 7,100 head, down 400 on the week before. AHDB said retail demand remains under pressure, with beef volumes down 6% year on year in the 12 weeks to 19 April, while average retail prices were nearly 15% higher.
Sheep prices also edged back but remained historically strong for the time of year. The deadweight old season lamb SQQ fell 6p to 837p/kg, while new season lamb eased 2p to 917p/kg. Despite the weekly fall, old season lamb remains more than 150p above both last year’s level and the five-year average.
Liveweight lamb prices followed a similar pattern, with old season lamb back 7p to 400p/kg and new season lamb down 6p to 456p/kg. Estimated clean sheep slaughter fell by nearly 10,000 head to 176,000, as old season supplies continued to tighten.
For the wider red meat trade, the figures highlight a split market: cattle values are being squeezed by weaker retail demand, while sheep prices continue to receive support from tighter supplies and historically strong lamb values.
Source: AHDB | 6 May 2026
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