Beef processors have been called on to cease reducing the price they pay for cattle, with one farm organisation saying the Irish price for cattle is lagging behind export markets.

The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) claimed that the "behaviour of factories in undermining the beef trade is unacceptable and must stop immediately".

IFA livestock chair Declan Hanrahan said that further cuts seen today (Monday, March 9) are "completely at odds" with the marketplace and farmers "should not be misled" by what he claimed was "negative propaganda" put forward by factories and their agents.

"Demand for beef in our key export markets is strong and rising. The latest prime export benchmark price has continued to rise and now sits 17c/kg ahead of the prime Irish composite price," Hanrahan added.

He said that cattle supplies are tight and are projected to fall by a further 4%, or 30,000 to 40,000 head, this year.

The IFA livestock chair said this will leave "no additional cattle" available to factories for slaughter.

"This trend is replicated across key export markets where supplies are forecasted below...2025 levels," he added.

According to Hanrahan, the price cuts are "unfair to winter beef finishers, who have invested heavily in having cattle fit at this time of year, that factories can pull quotes while prices rise across the EU".

He said that "all indicators" point to a strong beef market, and he called on factories to "stop the gamesmanship and reflect the reality of market conditions on prices offered to farmers".

Beef prices

This week's factory quotes have seen beef price offers reduced by a further 10c/kg at most outlets.

The most recent move by processors to reduce prices follows last week's move to cut 10c/kg from heifer and bullock (steer) base price.

Base price for prime cattle has now fallen by 20c/kg in the past two weeks.

Cow prices have also fallen at most sites this week, with some of the lower-paying outlets from previous weeks holding their cow price quote for this week.