Weekly cattle and sheep market wrap

Prices for week ending 31 May.

Key points:

• The GB all-prime average cattle price saw the sharpest weekly drop on record, down by 13p/kg to 664p/kg
• Cull cow prices also declined, though at a slower pace, down 7p/kg on the week further narrowing the premium gap between prime and cows
• The GB NSL SQQ price fell by 36p/kg on the week, with mixed quality and year-on-year growth in OSL numbers weighing on the trade

Cattle

The GB all prime average cattle price fell for the 4^th consecutive week with a drop of 13p to 664p/kg, for the week ending 31 May. This marks the highest weekly fall in price on record. Despite this, the price is still £1.85/kg above the same week in 2024 and £2.34/kg above the 5-year average price.

The GB overall steer price dropped by almost 12p/kg coming in at 667p/kg, whereas the overall heifer and young bull prices dropped further still by 14p/kg and 16p/kg respectively. The heifer price now sits at 663p/kg and the young bull price at 651p/kg.

Estimated prime slaughterings for the week ending 31 May fell by 4,000 head from the previous week totally 31,700, however this was during a shorter working week. Therefore, when we compare this to the same week a year ago, we see slaughter at about the same level, down just 200 head.

Market reports noted that the fall in prime prices has begun to soften buyers’ enthusiasm, especially for leaner and dairy-bred cattle. The shorter kill week also reduced processing capacity, limiting demand slightly, suggesting that many buyers had filled their books early in the week and were able to be more selective.

Cull cow prices were also down for the week ending 31 May, however at a slower rate compared to the all prime price, showing a closing of the premium between the two prices. The overall cow price fell by 7p/kg on the week, to 554p/kg. The difference from the all prime price now sits at £1.33p/kg, 43p/kg smaller compared with just two months ago.

Estimated cull cow slaughter was also down by 900 head compared to the previous week. However given the bank holiday it may be more appropriate to compare to the same week a year ago, up 600 head.

Sheep

For the week ending 31 May, the GB NSL SQQ price came in at 717p/kg, down 36p/kg on the week and a fall of £1.33p/kg year-on-year. However, this remains above the 5-year average by 30p/kg. The GB old season lamb price fell 15p/kg on the week, now at 645p/kg, showing a drop of £1.49p/kg compared to last year.

The price pressure in the lamb trade this week largely reflects a combination of increasing supply and more mixed quality. Several reports suggested a flood of spring lambs coming forward, but not all were well-finished. We also saw reduced kill days due to the shorter week, tightening procurement budgets and adding further downward pressure.

Estimated GB clean sheep slaughter was down 20,000 head compared to the previous week sitting at 198,400 head although this could be a somewhat attributed to the shorter working week. The year-on-year comparison for the week shows a significant increase in slaughterings of 32,900 head.

While reduced processing time played a role in the lower weekly kill, the year-on-year uplift reflects continued high supplies of old season lambs. Turning to new seasons, a more advanced lambing season and good grass conditions have encouraged faster finishing. That said, some producers may now hold off marketing lambs, especially as lighter weights prove harder to shift.

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