Factory price cuts deepen finisher losses in 2026 Irish beef market
The cow prices have also slipped by a similar amount, with R grade cows now at 640c/kg, while weathering the cuts best is the young bulls at 690-695c/kg to be got for R grade.
Another price cut for beef animals at the factories this week is bleeding the confidence of finishers in the future of the sector, as their losses on factory-ready animals mount up.
The factory quotes for steers, heifers and cows have all been reduced by a further 10 c/kg for the fourth consecutive week of falling prices, and a general falling trend since the beginning of 2026, with the processors laying the blame on weaker markets for Irish beef.
The steers are on a base of 670c/kg this week, with processors applying a tighter rein on anything extra, while they are adopting a take-it-or-leave-it policy and putting many suppliers on a waiting list for up to two weeks to get their cattle killed.
It is a similar situation for heifers working on a base of 680c/kg and a lacklustre interest in getting larger supplies being shown by the factories.
The cow prices have also slipped by a similar amount, with R grade cows now at 640c/kg, while weathering the cuts best is the young bulls at 690-695c/kg to be got for R grade.
"It has been raining almost every day this year so far, ground conditions are waterlogged for farmers trying to get cattle out to grass, and the factories have been raining more price cuts on the finishers almost every week of 2026", one very disgruntled finisher exclaimed.
"The factory price is now back by 70c/kg in just over three months, and that's a massive cut of €5,000-€7,000 on a single load of cattle without any acceptable explanation from the processors as to what has gone so wrong that the Irish beef prices have hit the bottom of the barrel in 2026," they added angrily.
Finishers challenge the claim of market difficulties for Irish beef in export outlets. Comparison analysis by Bord Bia shows the Irish price to producers is 20c/kg under the UK price, 30c/kg less than suppliers in Northern Ireland and Germany receive, and a whopping 69c/kg less than paid to producers in Italy.
At the top of the scale is the market for beef in Sweden, where suppliers are being paid 113c/kg above the comparative Irish price.
The intake at the factories for last week was down close to 1,000 head at 32,085 head, which indicates the processors are managing intake at around the level of 31-32k/weekly, despite much more being on offer and placed on a waiting list for acceptance.
Last week's supply included 12,052 steers, 10,210 heifers, 6,956 cows, and 2,247 young bulls.
Throughput year to date is now 63,000 head lower than over the same period in 2025.
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