European beef prices

VEZG cattle quotations were unchanged again: Jungbullen R3 at €6.20/kg SG effective 7 September, a fourth straight week at that level, and Kühe O3 at €5.00/kg SG, unchanged since 10 August, leaving the bull–cow spread at €1.20. In Ireland, the deadweight R3 steer price for the week ending 29 August was €6.43/kg, flat week-on-week but €1.13 below the €7.56 paid in the same week of 2025. Irish throughput reached 32,251 head, a third consecutive week above 32,000, with around 25,000 prime cattle processed in each of those weeks and cow throughput steady at 6,700; the year-on-year kill deficit has narrowed to 47,000 head. Live exports ran at 1,728 head for the week and 270,000 year to date, 9% below 2025.

We expect German quotes to hold at €6.20 for R3 young bulls on 14 September. The reference market has not moved in a month and European cattle supplies remain structurally tight, but the scarcity story is weakening at the margin as Irish throughput recovers and the kill deficit closes. Demand is the binding constraint rather than supply: UK beef volumes fell 2% in the twelve weeks to 9 August and high shelf prices are visibly costing sales, offset only where promotion is driving steak. We would expect the first downward pressure to show in cull cows before it reaches young bulls.