Weekly cattle and sheep market wrap – 4 June 2026

Deadweight prices cover Great Britain (GB) for the week ending 30 May. Liveweight prices cover England & Wales (E&W) for the week ending 31 May. 

• Prime cattle price falls slowed in the latest reporting week, with the average steer price now sitting at 593p/kg, down 3p on the week. 
• Cull cow prices continue to ease, despite lower throughput numbers. 
• Deadweight sheep prices remain at record highs, with throughput numbers back but weights remaining strong. 

GB deadweight cattle prices continued to fall away across all categories, with the exception of young bulls, in the latest week, albeit at a lower rate than seen in previous weeks.

The overall average steer price fell another 3p on the week to 593p/kg, while overall average heifer price lost a further 2p landing at 596p/kg. This puts the prices down 54p and 52p respectively from the beginning of the year.  Conversely, in the young bull category, the average price rose by 1p on the week to 579p/kg.

Estimated kill of prime cattle dropped 3,700 head this week, noting a 4 day kill week from the bank holiday. Estimated kill stood at 30,200 head, the same number as this week in the year previous. Slaughter numbers of steers and heifers dropped, while young bull numbers rose slightly.

The average cow prices fell 2p this week, finishing at 480p/kg. This puts the price down 50p from the same week of the previous year.

Cull cow slaughter numbers dropped to 5,800 this week, again flagging the 4-day kill week, but also sitting significantly below the same week of last year. Cow slaughter for the first 21 weeks of the year has totalled 185,600, back 3% on the same period of 2025.

Market reports suggest a strong store trade with dearer prices than anticipated, alongside high weights coming through the ring. With store and calf values still holding stronger than finished cattle values, this points to margin pressure across the finishing chain.

Finished lamb prices remained at record highs in the latest week. The new season lamb SQQ changed direction, easing 1p on the week to finish at 943p/kg, following three weeks of growth. Meanwhile the old season lamb SQQ rose another 8p to end the week at 900p/kg. This brings the year-on-year price rises to 226p and 255p respectively.

Estimated GB clean sheep slaughter dropped 45,500 head week-on-week to 173,000 head. This fall could be expected following the high levels of slaughter the week before and the 4 day kill week caused by the bank holiday at the end of May. Kill was down 16,000 head year-on-year in the latest week.

Prices fell across the live markets in the week ending 31 May, with NSL SQQ falling 14p to 459p/kg, and the OSL SQQ falling 10p to finish the week averaging 408p/kg. Cull ewes prices also dropped £3.60/head to average £156.30/head.

OSL numbers through the markets have dropped in the most recent week, falling behind 2025 levels. The number of NSLs entering the market started the season consistent with 2025 levels, with more animals coming forward slightly earlier, however has fallen below last years levels in the last week, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Weekly auction market throughputs of new (NSL) and old (OSL) season lambs, England and Wales

Source: LAA

In figure 1 old season lambs are represented by the light (2025) and dark (2026) blue lines, while the NSL throughput is shown in light (2025) and dark (2026) green lines.

Market reports allude to the strong prices representing good sized lambs as a result of feeding to make up for a shortness of grass.

© Livestock Auctioneers Association Limited 2026. All rights reserved. 

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