Last week heifers averaged 372.8p/kg, virtually this same as last year. Steers averaged 360.2p/kg which is slightly ahead of last year.
However, deadweight prices are still lagging behind, being almost 20p/kg less than at the same week last year.
In 2025 the beef price continued to rise sharply from September onwards, so it will be interesting to see if that continues this time, but the view seems to be that numbers remain tight, so hopefully that will be the case.
Prime lamb prices are also on an upward trend, if a slow one. From February prices were significantly above those of last year, peaking at an average of 452p/kg in June which was about 135p/kg higher than the same time the previous year, before dipping rapidly reaching a low of 315p/kg at the end of August which was just about the same as at the same time last year.
Since then averages have been on the rise, following a seasonal trend but currently averaging 340p/kg about 30p/kg more than the same time last year.
Of course, averages don't tell the whole story – in most markets there will be everything from well-fed continental lambs to hill lambs which have suffered the impacts of this year's drought. But, the underlying trend is good and certainly seems to be feeding through into breeding sheep sales.
Almost without exception, and even taking out headline prices, averages for Mule gimmer lambs and shearlings have been up.
Recent commercial ram sales at Kelso and Builth Wells have also indicated that producers are prepared to invest in the best genetics for their flocks.
The sheep sector, and in particular in the south west, has been hit hard by bluetongue, which could have longer term implications for trade and sheep numbers going forward.
Thankfully, it does seem to be easing in that area now and hopefully there has been enough warnings for farmers further north to realise that vaccination is really the only defence, in terms of the disease working its way further north, although it's too late for some who have already been impacted.
