Weekly cattle and sheep market wrap

Prices for week ending 19 April

Key points

• GB deadweight cattle prices grew again in the week ending 19 April, with the all-prime average price now at 700p/kg.
• Retailer promotions over the Easter weekend have likely continued to support consumer demand for beef.
• Lamb prices fell on the week, with the GB OSL deadweight SQQ at 703p/kg as supplies hold above last year’s levels and demand remains subdued.

Cattle

GB deadweight cattle prices continued to rise in the week ending 19 April, although growth was more muted than in previous weeks. The all-prime average price grew by 4p/kg on the week, to reach 700p/kg. Meanwhile steers reaching R4L specification averaged 713p/kg, growth of 6p/kg week-on-week and heifers of the same category priced at 712p/kg on average.

Estimated GB prime cattle slaughter totalled 31,600 head for the week in which Good Friday fell. This was lower on the week previous, reflecting lower kill over the bank holiday. Numbers for the year to date are back almost 2% on the year previous.

Cow prices saw a slightly larger rise, with the overall average price up 7p/kg on the week to 527p/kg for the week ending 19 April. Similarly to the prime category, we saw a lower estimated slaughter number than the week prior, at 6,900 head.

Reports suggest wholesale beef prices held steady in the week, despite continued growth in the farmgate price. Widespread promotional activity in retail over the Easter weekend likely encouraged robust consumer demand. We will produce detailed analysis on the performance of red meat over the Easter period when the retail data is available.

Sheep

The GB OSL SQQ price eased in the week ending 19 April, down 8p/kg to sit at 703p/kg. We have seen the measure gradually falling over the past 8 weeks and it now sits much closer to the five-year average, well below the highs of 2024.

Estimated clean sheep slaughter fell back on the week, due to the bank holiday meaning fewer kill days, but still sits significantly above this time last year. Estimated kill for the week totalled 220,500 head, with numbers continuing to be supported by 2024’s carryover of hoggs.

This greater prevalence of heavier animals has been reflected in market reports, with some reports of mixed quality. Sales of export lamb have somewhat supported trade, with prices in Rungis market holding steady over the last month. We continue to see increasing numbers of new season lambs coming to market, further bolstering supplies.

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