Store cattle trade buoyant despite falling finished price

Strong demand for replacements has kept the store trade elevated so far in 2026, even as prices for finished cattle ease back.

GB deadweight steers have fallen by 25p/kg in the past three months to average 636p/kg in mid-February, while liveweight finished steers have dropped slightly to 373p/kg.

Despite this, continental steers aged 21 to 30 months are still averaging more than £2,070/head and 15- to 21-month steers are sitting just shy of £1,900/head, according to figures from the Livestock Auctioneers Association.

See also: Margins tighten for beef finishers as abattoirs cut prices

Finished cattle prices are roughly on par with the same week last year, while 18-month continental steer averages are 13% higher on the year.

Store prices are supported by the expectation of tighter cattle supplies later in the year and further reductions into 2027.

Prime cattle slaughter is forecast to slip below 2m head in 2026, and competition between beef finishers to secure numbers is expected to provide support.

Narrowing gap

Simon Alford, auctioneer at Exeter Livestock Centre, said beef was still a good trade with prices holding in the past week and some indications it might get a bit dearer.

He said: “The gap seen between the strong stores and [finished] beef seems to be narrowing all the time.”

Mr Alford suggested this was down to the need to fulfil big contracts, along with concerns of supply shortages.

“Although we’ve seen decent numbers, they don’t seem to be enough to satisfy demand, and people are travelling further and further afield trying to find the cattle that they want,” he said.

“The short-term grind of the beef trade on the store cattle finisher seems to be having a remarkable effect.”

Scottish livestock marketing group Farmstock suggested that prime cattle prices had largely levelled out, while store cattle were still keenly competed for, including both suckler and dairy-bred types.

Barnard Castle held its show and sale of show cattle on 17 February with an exceptionally strong entry of breeding cattle, feeding bulls and store cattle.

John Walton, auctioneer at C&D Auction Marts, said the trade peaked at £6,000/head for the champion heifer, and there were a lot of cattle selling for between £2,800/head and £4,000/head.

Cull cows

The cull cow trade is probably as dear now as it has ever been, according to Mr Alford.

He noted that despite falling milk prices, there had not been many cull cows coming forward as many dairy producers had already reduced herds, and culls from the beef sector had already been sold at the end of last year ahead of winter housing.