Lamb Market Update: Quotes, Prices, and Throughput

Quotes

Base quotes from the major processors have been falling for a number of weeks, however the week ending April 20th saw quotes take a big increase, with €8.50/kg for well finished lambs (+QA bonus) on offer. .

Relatively tight lamb supplies combined with some stability in demand from the domestic and export markets have contributed to this firming of the trade all of 2024. Tighter lamb supplies are also a feature in other key lamb producing regions of Europe and the UK with the latest Eurostat figures indicating a contraction in breeding flock numbers in many regions. The Irish ewe flock contracted by 3.7 per cent in the December 2023 census versus December 2022 levels. This decline in the ewe flock of 107,000 head is one factor contributing to the tightness in supplies.

Prices

Reported deadweight price for week ending April 20th increased by 2c/kg to €9.04/kg, reflective of an uplift for the past two weeks after a number of  weeks of consecutive price drops recorded in average prices from the major lamb processors. In the corresponding week in 2024 the reported deadweight price was €8.68/kg. The deadweight trade has slightly improved across the UK regions for week ending April 12th. Reported lamb prices in mainland GB were the equivalent of €8.26/kg  last week (-23c/kg) in Northern Ireland the latest prices for week ending April 20th 2025 was €8.10/kg.

Southern Hemisphere prices remain well below European prices however they have improved significantly over the last few weeks, narrowing the price differential with the EU. With a lead time on product shipments this recent improvement in deadweight prices should impact their competitiveness on EU markets in the medium to  longer term. Prices this week took a slight increase and fall respectively and are at €4.56/kg and €4.50/kg for Australia and New Zealand.

Throughput

There was an increase in the total sheep kill in DAFM approved plants last week to 45,708 head, compared to 34,530 the same week in 2024. Tighter supplies has been a feature of the 2025 lamb season to date with a smaller lamb crop and a difficult lambing impacting lamb availability for processing. Total TYD slaughter is down 18% on 2024 to total 657,036 head.

Bord Bia

Beef Market Update: Throughput and Prices

Throughput

There were 35,717 cattle processed in DAFM approved plants during the week ending April 20th 2025, taking throughput for the year to date to 574,563 head. This is a 11,296 head or 2% increase on the corresponding period in 2024 when a total of 563,267 cattle were processed.

There have been 431,680 prime cattle processed in the first 16 weeks of 2025, a 1.8% increase from the same period last year . Within this however there has been a change in the slaughter mix with a notable decline in the young bull kill early in 2025, which has this week evened out to similar level as this week in 2024. Steer and Heifer throughput has dropped slightly in comparison to 2024. Cow throughput has remained strong with 99,507 cows processed so far this year, up by 13% from 2024 levels.

Prices

Quotes from major processors have continued to trend upward and this has been reflected in a balance between supply and demand currently in favour of producers, this week saw the trade levelling off. Base quotes this week are in the region of €7.50-€7.60/kg for steers while starting quotes for heifers are €7.60/kg to €7.70/kg.

The trade for the smaller numbers of young bulls on offer remains steady with €7.50-€7.70/kg also available for U grading animals under 24 months of age, with flat prices as high as €7.80/kg available for R grading bulls.

Well fleshed O grading cows are being quoted at €7.00/kg with €7.30/kg available for good quality R grading cows. A significant proportion of the cow kill have achieved a conformation score of P in recent months and the prices available for these animals vary significantly based on grade, weight and quality.

For the week ending April 20th 2025, the average price paid by Irish beef processors for R3 steers decreases by 4c/kg to €7.69/kg. This was 248c/kg ahead of the corresponding week in 2024. The reported R3 heifer during the week ending April 20th 2025 increased by 4c/kg to €7.73/kg, placing it 247c/kg ahead of the corresponding week in 2024.

Note that reported prices exclude VAT but include all bonus payments such as in-spec bonus, breed-based producer groups etc.

EU and UK prices:

European young bull prices have held strong for all of 2025 so far. The average reported price for R3 grading young bulls was €6.40/kg (excluding VAT) for the week ending April 20th 2025. This is 138c/kg ahead of the same week last year. Tighter cattle supplies and firm demand have meant deadweight beef prices in the UK have remained strong, this week the average R3 steer price increased slightly this week to be €8.16/kg for the week ending April 20th 2025.

Bord Bia

Weekly Cattle and Sheep Market Wrap

Key Points

• Restocker cattle demand reflects the impact of the rainfall events of the last month.
• The National Mutton Indicator continues to recorrect.
• National cattle slaughter lifted above 150,000 head for the first time since June 2019.

Australia is heading into a series of public holidays that are expected to disrupt regular operations at saleyards and meat processing plants across the country. Market indicators and processing volumes will be impacted over the upcoming weeks. MLA will continue monitoring the prices and markets and return to regular market commentary once all saleyards are back online.

Upcoming National Public Holidays

• Easter: Friday 18 April – Monday 21 April
• ANZAC Day: Friday 25 April
• Labour Day (Queensland) and May Day (NT): Monday 5 May

A list of affected sales can be found in the article here.

Cattle Market

The mixed results in the cattle market this week were due to the volatility of supply in saleyards. This was caused by interrupted sales, with reduced yardings the week prior.

As the effects of the Queensland and NSW rain are realised in feed, confidence in the market has been reflected in the lifting of the Restocker Yearling Heifer Indicator and Restocker Yearling Steer Indicator. Despite a lift in indicator yardings, both indicators lifted 4¢ last week to 328¢/kg liveweight (lwt) and 401¢/kg lwt, respectively.

Finished animals did not fare well this week, with the Heavy Steer Indicator easing 16¢ to 356¢/kg lwt. This has further separated the gap between the steer indicators as the market reflects the weight of gaining confidence. The Processor Cow Indicator similarly fell, easing 13¢ to 284¢/kg lwt, a seeming correction of the spikes seen last week.

Sheep Market

The sheep market was similarly mixed this week. Similar to cattle, yardings were impacted by interrupted sales.

Finished stock remained relatively stable, with the Heavy Lamb Indicator and Trade Lamb moving sideways to 815¢ and 801¢/kg cwt.

Restocker lambs eased to 669¢/kg cwt, driven mostly by confidence in NSW markets pulling prices up last week, and a lack of competitive pulling them back down. The National Mutton Indicator continued its decline, down 78¢ to 431¢/kg cwt, despite a significant reduction in the supply of mutton through yards. Moving through autumn, it is likely we will see a continued reduction in supply.

Slaughter

Week Ending 11 April 2025

Processing volumes for the week ending 11 April lifted from last week as processors recovered from the impact of the floods in Queensland and prepared for several weeks of interrupted processing. Processing volumes tend to lift in the week before Easter, and this year’s increases are in line with this historical trend.

The next two slaughter reports will be impacted by the upcoming short weeks.

Cattle Slaughter

National slaughter lifted 6% to 152,180 head, thanks to significant lifts in NSW and Victoria. Both states had their largest kill weeks in five years, processing 37,994 and 25,411 head, respectively.

Consistent lifts across all states last week (up 0–⁠8%) also contributed:

• NSW up 6% to 37,994
• Queensland up 6% to 77,335
• SA up 1% to 3,815
• Tasmania up 1% to 5,016
• Victoria up 8% to 25,411
• WA steady at 2,609.

Sheep Slaughter

Lamb processing reached records, lifting 4% for a record throughput of 527,045 head, the fourth consecutive week above the half-million mark. This reflects the continued supply of the 2024 lamb cohort, many of which were retained longer due to poorer conditions and weight gain decisions.

NSW throughput lifted 5% to 131,364, its largest week since September 2024. Victoria’s throughput also lifted 3% last week to 261,758, the second-largest state throughput, just behind last month’s record. State-by-state breakdown was as follows:

• NSW up 5% to 131,364
• Queensland up 4% to 1,460
• SA up 8% to 61,959
• Tasmania up 7% to 11,563
• Victoria up 3% to 261,758
• WA up 1% to 58,941.

Lifts were also seen in sheep slaughter, which increased 4% to 197,580, though throughput remained below the 2025 average. Increases across both categories took the combined slaughter to 724,627 head, the third largest throughput of the year.

Attribute to: Erin Lukey, MLA Senior Market Information Analyst.

 

 

 

Bord Bia

Lamb Market Update: Quotes, Prices, and Throughput

Quotes

Base quotes from major processors have been falling for a number of weeks. However, the week ending April 6th saw quotes take a significant increase, with €9.70/kg for well-finished lambs (+QA bonus) on offer. Sellers trading at the higher end of the market have had more success in negotiating higher carcass weight allowances up to 20.5kg to 21kg.

Relatively tight lamb supplies combined with some stability in demand from the domestic and export markets have contributed to this firming of the trade throughout 2024. Tighter lamb supplies are also a feature in other key lamb-producing regions of Europe and the UK, with the latest Eurostat figures indicating a contraction in breeding flock numbers in many regions. The Irish ewe flock contracted by 3.7% in the December 2023 census versus December 2022 levels. This decline in the ewe flock of 107,000 head is one factor contributing to the tightness in supplies.

Prices

The reported deadweight price for the week ending April 6th increased by 21c/kg to €8.96/kg, reflecting an uplift for the past two weeks after several weeks of consecutive price drops recorded in average prices from the major lamb processors. In the corresponding week in 2024, the reported deadweight price was €8.68/kg. The deadweight trade has slightly improved across the UK regions for the week ending April 6th.

Reported lamb prices in mainland GB were the equivalent of €8.48/kg last week (-23c/kg). In Northern Ireland, the latest prices are not yet published; the last latest NI price for the week ending March 8th, 2025, was €8.06/kg.

Southern Hemisphere prices remain well below European prices; however, they have improved significantly over the last few weeks, narrowing the price differential with the EU. With a lead time on product shipments, this recent improvement in deadweight prices should impact their competitiveness on EU markets in the medium to longer term. Prices this week took a slight increase and fall respectively and are at €4.50/kg and €4.30/kg for Australia and New Zealand.

Throughput

There was a decrease in the total sheep kill in DAFM approved plants last week to 42,533 head, compared to 47,210 the same week in 2024. Tighter supplies have been a feature of the 2025 lamb season to date, with a smaller lamb crop and a difficult lambing impacting lamb availability for processing. Total TYD slaughter is down 22% on 2024 to a total of 566,737 head.

Bord Bia

Beef Market Update: Throughput and Prices

Throughput

There were 35,717 cattle processed in DAFM approved plants during the week ending April 12th, 2025, taking throughput for the year to date to 540,634 head. This represents an increase of 11,183 head or 3% compared to the corresponding period in 2024, when a total of 529,451 cattle were processed. In the first 15 weeks of 2025, 405,910 prime cattle were processed, marking a 1.8% increase from the same period last year.

However, there has been a change in the slaughter mix, with a notable decline in the young bull kill early in 2025, which has now evened out to similar levels as this week in 2024. Steer and heifer throughput has dropped slightly in comparison to 2024. Cow throughput has remained strong, with 99,507 cows processed so far this year, up by 13% from 2024 levels.

Prices

Quotes from major processors have continued to trend upward, reflecting a balance between supply and demand currently in favour of producers. This week saw the trade levelling off. Base quotes this week are in the region of €7.60-€7.70/kg for steers, while starting quotes for heifers are €7.70/kg to €7.80/kg.

The trade for the smaller numbers of young bulls on offer remains steady, with €7.60-€7.80/kg available for U grading animals under 24 months of age, and flat prices as high as €7.90/kg available for R grading bulls.

Well-fleshed O grading cows are being quoted at €7.00/kg, with €7.25/kg available for good quality R grading cows. A significant proportion of the cow kill have achieved a conformation score of P in recent months, and the prices available for these animals vary significantly based on grade, weight, and quality.

For the week ending April 12th, 2025, the average price paid by Irish beef processors for R3 steers increased by 6c/kg to €7.73/kg. This was 195c/kg ahead of the corresponding week in 2024. The reported R3 heifer during the week ending April 6th, 2025, increased by 26c/kg to €7.68/kg, placing it 193c/kg ahead of the corresponding week in 2024.

EU and UK Prices

European young bull prices have held strong for all of 2025 so far. The average reported price for R3 grading young bulls was €6.37/kg (excluding VAT) for the week ending April 12th, 2025. This is 125c/kg ahead of the same week last year. Tighter cattle supplies and firm demand have meant deadweight beef prices in the UK have remained strong. This week, the average R3 steer price decreased by 24c/kg to €7.23/kg for the week ending April 12th, 2025.

Bord Bia

Growing Concerns Over UK-US Trade Deal and Food Standards

As discussions about a potential trade deal between the United States and the United Kingdom intensify, British farmers have voiced their concerns about maintaining high food standards. The use of hormones in beef production, in particular, has become a contentious issue.

US Vice President JD Vance has expressed optimism about reaching a trade deal with Britain, stating there is a “good chance” of an agreement. However, the last attempt to negotiate a deal between the two countries faltered due to disagreements over food standards.

Concerns Over Food Standards

David Barton, Livestock Chair of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), has been vocal about the need to uphold British food standards. He insists that any imported US beef must pass the same rigorous tests as UK meat. “There is no way we would accept anything that is not produced to our standards,” Barton stated.

Farmers’ Perspective

David Barton farms several hundred beef cattle in the Cotswolds, north of the ancient Roman city of Cirencester. When checking on young calves, Barton explained that his cattle are raised almost entirely on Gloucestershire’s green grass and their mother’s milk. He cuts his own silage and buys local cereal feeds for the winter.

Barton has met American beef farmers and has “no issues” with the way they farm. He acknowledges that they produce beef in a much harsher environment than in the UK. “Our temperate climate, our lush grass – the British Isles are just designed for beef. We don’t have to add much,” Barton explained.

As the UK and US continue to negotiate a trade deal, British farmers are urging ministers to uphold food standards and ensure that any imported beef meets the same criteria as domestically produced meat. The outcome of these discussions will have significant implications for the UK’s agricultural sector and consumers.

Original story: BBC

UK Beef Trade Witnesses Historic Activity as Prices Climb to £7/kg

The UK beef market is experiencing historically high prices, with the R4L steer price recently breaking the £7/kg deadweight barrier. This unprecedented situation is driven by a combination of factors:

Reduced Domestic Cattle Supply

The UK cattle herd has been shrinking, particularly the beef female breeding herd. This decline, coupled with a forecast 6% drop in prime cattle slaughter for 2025, means fewer animals are available for processing. Several factors contribute to this, including underlying business profitability concerns, declining direct payments to farmers, and a shift towards dairy-beef production. Farm closures in regions like Scotland have further exacerbated the supply shortage.

Strong Demand

Despite rising prices, demand for British beef remains robust both domestically and in export markets. Consumers increasingly prefer fresh, primary beef cuts. The global appetite for beef has also contributed to strong export figures for the UK.

Increased Costs

Farmers face higher input costs for feed, energy, and transportation, which are being passed down the supply chain. Rising minimum wage and other economic factors are also influencing prices.

Global Market Influences

International demand, particularly from the EU, and ongoing global supply chain disruptions contribute to the UK’s beef price levels. While the UK is a significant beef exporter, it also relies on imports to meet demand, making it susceptible to global price fluctuations.

Weather Conditions

Unpredictable weather patterns can impact agricultural production, leading to lower crop yields for feed and affecting cattle health, further straining supply.

Looking Ahead

While high farmgate cattle prices are expected to be supported throughout 2025 due to tight supply, the price sensitivity of consumers will be a crucial factor in overall carcass values. The UK is also expected to increase beef imports to compensate for lower domestic production.

 

Original story: AHDB