In the beef prices reported for all EU 28 countries excluding VAT for week ending 10 November, there is modest upward movement of price, but prices remain stagnant in Ireland.

Looking at the EU average for w/e 10 November, R3 young bulls were making 359c/kg, up 3c/kg on the previous week.

Irish young R3 bull prices gained one cent over the week to 321c/kg, but R3 steers lost 1c to 343c/kg, making Irish R3 steers now worth 16c/kg less than the EU average.

Dramatic improvement

The most dramatic improvement in price is in the North, where R3 steers jumped the equivalent of 4c/kg to 379c/kg, while the British R3 steer price increased 2c/kg to the equivalent of 384c/kg.

On the continent, it is mainly R3 young bulls that go through the factories and comparing these with Irish R3 steer prices, ours are the weakest compared with any of our main export markets.

Swedish and Italian prices are the best in the EU for R3 young bulls

Swedish and Italian prices are the best in the EU at 395c/kg and 391c/kg respectively for R3 young bulls.

The French average was 378/kg, 1c/kg better than the previous week, while the German price was 5c/kg better at 375c/kg.

Spain and Ireland had been on a par the previous week at 344c/kg, but while the Irish price slipped 1c/kg, the Spanish price for R3 young bulls jumped 7c/kg to 351c/kg at 10 November. Even the Dutch R3 young bull price is now ahead of the Irish R3 steer price on 344c/kg.

Heifers

The EU heifer price has remained steady at 268c/kg, whereas the Irish R3 average has slipped 3c/kg to 351c/kg.

R3 heifer prices in the North jumped 6c/kg to the equivalent of 383c/kg, while the British price also increased 3c/kg to the equivalent of 385c/kg.

On the continent, the best price available was in Sweden at 393c/kg, followed by Italy on 388c/kg for R3 heifers, the same as the previous week.

France was just 3c/kg behind Italy on 385c/kg, while Spanish R3 heifers averaged 382c/kg. Germany was next lowest to Ireland at 355c/kg.

Cows

The Irish O3 cow price of 258c/kg was towards the bottom of prices paid in countries where we sell our beef, with only Spain lower on 247c/kg.

The best O3 cow price was in Sweden, as it was for all other categories, at 356c/kg and the same as the previous week.

It was also the same in France, where 300c/kg was the average for O3 cows and then it was a drop to the equivalent of 287c/kg in Northern Ireland.

There was a further gap back to 272c/kg paid in the Netherlands, followed by Germany on 269c/kg. Britain and Italy were tied on 263c/kg.

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