Weekly cattle & sheep market wrap – 8 January 2026

Deadweight prices for week ending 3 January covering GB.

Key points

• The all-prime cattle price averaged 646p/kg in the first week of January, up 1p/kg on the week and 92p/kg higher year-on-year, as tighter supplies continued to underpin the market
• Estimated prime cattle slaughter rose to 22,300 head, up 5,200 head on the week as processing returned after the festive period but remained 600 head lower than the same week last year
• The overall cow price strengthened to 495p/kg, up 6p/kg on the week and 107p/kg higher year-on-year, supported by continued tight cow availability
• The GB deadweight OSL lamb price averaged 721p/kg, 13p/kg above year-ago levels, with estimated sheep slaughter rebounding to 180,500 head following the Christmas and New Year slowdown

Cattle

For the week ending 3 January, the prime cattle trade was broadly steady, with the all-prime average price edging up to 646p/kg (+1p/kg week-on-week).

Within this, heifer prices provided the main upward momentum, rising 2p/kg to 647p/kg, while steer prices eased slightly to 647p/kg and young bull prices dipped marginally to 629p/kg.

Estimated prime cattle slaughter increased to 22,300 head in the same week, up 5,200 head on the week before. This rise is consistent with abattoirs returning to more normal operating levels after closure days over the festive period.

However, throughputs remained 600 head below the same week last year, continuing to lend support to prices and helping to explain the strong year-on-year uplift across all prime category prices.

The cow trade also strengthened on the week, with the average cow price rising to 495p/kg, up 6p/kg on the week.

While cow slaughter increased to 4,700 head (+1,100 head week-on-week), it remained 1,000 head lower year-on-year, reflecting ongoing tight supplies.

This combination of limited availability and steady demand continues to support firm cow prices.

Sheep

The GB deadweight OSL price averaged 721p/kg in the week ending 3 January, sitting 13p/kg above the same period last year.

Estimated sheep slaughter rose sharply to 180,500 head, up 45,600 head on the week. The increase reflects a recovery in processing activity following reduced throughput over the Christmas and New Year period.

Even so, kill levels were 12,700 head lower than a year earlier, indicating tighter year-on-year supply, which is likely contributing to the continued resilience in lamb prices.

Looking ahead, the lower lamb crop indicated in Defra’s June Survey has already been reflected in reduced sheepmeat production during the second half of 2025.

Moving forward, the scale and timing of carryover supplies will be a key factor shaping market dynamics through the spring and will form an important focus for the upcoming lamb outlook, due to be released in February.

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