The north/south price difference for an R3 grade heifer stood at 23.2c/kg in the week ending February 5, latest figures show.

At the end of the first week in February the Irish heifer price stood at 383.9c/kg, figures from the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) show.

This represents an increase of 1.7c/kg, meaning Ireland remained in eight position in the EU price league table, from the 382.2c/kg paid in the corresponding week in January.

Farmers in the North received the equivalent of 407.1c/kg in the week ending February 5, which placed it in fourth in the league table, a decrease of 6.5c/kg in the space of four weeks.

This price difference of 23.2c/kg equates to a total of €64.96 on a 280kg heifer carcass in favour of farmers in the North.

In the week ending February 5 the EU average R3 grade heifer price was 383.2c/kg, an increase of 3.2c/kg in the space of a month, in a week when the euro was equal to 85.7p.

This meant that the Irish heifer price place 0.7c/kg above the EU average, while the heifer price in the North was 23.9c/kg above the EU average at the end of the first week in February, figures show.

Bristish heifer prices managed to climb from third to second in the EU league table despite recording a decrease in price.

Figures sourced from the LMC.

Figures sourced from the LMC.

In the week ending February 5 an equivalent R3 heifer price of 419.2c/kg was paid to British farmers, this had previously stood at 423.9c/kg in the week ending January 8, according to the LMC.

British prices remained significantly ahead of prices on offer in the Republic of Ireland (35.3c/kg) and in the North (12.1c/kg) at the end of the first week in February.

These equated to a difference of €98.84 on a 280kg heifer carcass with regards to Irish prices, and a €33.84 difference on the same carcass when compared with prices in the North.

In the week ending February 5 the British and EU average price differential narrowed to 36c/kg, compared to the 43.9c/kg that was evident at the beginning of January, figures show.