Qualifying in-spec organic U-grade steers are currently making €6.13/kg, according to the latest forward pricing template from organic beef processing company, The Good Herdsmen.
This price for organic U-grade steers is composed of a base price of €5.95/kg, plus a grid bonus of 18c/kg.
At this price rate, a U-3- steer with a carcass weight of 445kg would be coming into €2,727.85.
In the week ending Sunday, February 25, the average price paid for conventional U-3- grade steers was €5.45/kg or 68c/kg below the organic price offering resulting in the same spec of a conventional steer making €302.69/head less.
While organic beef production can be more challenging than conventional beef systems, and may not be an option for all farmers, the system can produce higher margins on farms where costs are managed effectively.
As well as the higher prices which are available for finished organic cattle, organic beef farmers supplying finished cattle have the benefit of knowing the price that will be available for their beef a number of weeks in advance.
The latest price template for organic beef farmers outlined The Good Herdsmen organic beef price template for the first three months of this year. In order to avail of the prices, cattle must be pre-booked in advance.
The year began with the base price for organic beef at €5.80/kg, before increasing in increments of 5c/kg every second week to €5.95/kg for weeks nine, 10, 11 and 12 and then rising to €6.00/kg in week 13 of this year.
Organic beef production ‘to increase fourfold’ by 2030
In January of this year, Agriland reported that the production of beef from the organic farming sector in Ireland is set to quadruple by 2030, while production of organic lamb is set to increase six times over in the same period, according to data presented at the Bord Bia Meat Marketing Seminar 2024, which took place on Friday, January 19.
If those forecasts turn out to be accurate, organic beef production will amount to about 15,000t by 2030, while organic lamb production will be about 2,500t.
By 2030, 75% to 80% of Irish organic production will be exported, the seminar heard.
The data, presented by Bord Bia’s organic sector manager Emmet Doyle, also showed that 5% Ireland’s agricultural land is currently under organic farming, meaning the country is halfway to its 2030 target, as set out in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan of having 10% of the country under organic farming by that year.
The 5% figure is a significant increase on the figure for 2020, which was 1.5%.
There are currently some 5,000 farmers farming organically or in conversion to organics in Ireland (judging by membership of the Organic Farming Scheme). Of those farmers, 85% are in the livestock sector.
Commenting on the current condition of the Irish organic sector, Doyle said: “There’s a lot of momentum in the Irish organic sector.
“It took about 20 years to get the first 2,000 farmers into [organics], and in the last 12 months we’ve seen an additional three thousand farmers after joining,” he added.