Ireland has dropped to fourth on the EU deadweight cattle prices league table that is compiled by the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).

The average R3 heifer price in Ireland for the week ending May 10 was 420.2c/kg, up 0.4c/kg from the week ending April 12, the LMC says.

This placed it 24.5c/kg above the EU average price of 395.7c/kg. Sweden has overtaken Ireland to claim the third place spot on the cattle league table.

For the week ending May 10 the average R3 heifer price in Sweden was 451.6c/kg, up 35.5c/kg from the week ending April 12.

This places Sweden 31.4c/kg above the price in the Republic and just 4.6c/kg below the UK equivalent.

In the North, the average R3 heifer price for the week ending May 10 was equivalent of 455.3c/kg, down 8.6c/kg from the week ending April 12, the LMC says.

This also placed the North 35.1c/kg above the equivalent price in the Republic of Ireland, it says. Northern Ireland has also knocked the UK off the top spot on the cattle league table.

In the UK the average price for an R3 heifer for the week ending was the equivalent price of 455.0c/kg, down 23.0c/kg from the week ending April 12.

The decrease in the UK R3 heifer price has resulted in the UK/EU price differential narrowing from 77.5c/kg in the week ending April 12 to 59.3c/kg in the week ending May 10, the LMC says

The average R3 heifer price in the EU was 395.7c/kg down 4.8c/kg from the 400.5c/kg paid in the week ending April 12.

LMC table May 19