During the week ending September 9, the average R3 heifer price in the EU was 384.5c/kg – an increase of 2.4c/kg from 382.1c/kg in the week ending August 12.

According to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), Britain moved into first place on the league table during the week ending September 9, with an equivalent price of 418.1c/kg. This was a 16.3c/kg increase from the 401.8c/kg paid during the week ending August 12.

The difference between R3 heifer prices in Britain and the EU average widened from 19.7c/kg in the week ending August 12 to 33.6c/kg in the week ending September 9, the LMC reports.

Meanwhile, in the week ending September 9, Northern Ireland moved up to fourth place in the EU league table. Its R3 heifer price was the equivalent of 400.1c/kg – up 4.2c/kg on the week ending August 12.

R3 heifer

Table source: LMC

The LMC also highlights that the differential between the R3 heifer price in Northern Ireland and the EU average widened from 13.8c/kg in the week ending August 12 to 15.6c/kg in the week ending September 9.

Moving onto Republic of Ireland R3 heifer returns, the LMC reports an average price of 389c/kg was paid during the week ending September 9 – a decrease of 3.2c/kg when compared to August 12.

This, it says, placed Irish returns 4.5c/kg above the EU average price, but 11.1c/kg behind the equivalent Northern Irish price.