It provides a useful comparison on where NI, GB and ROI finished prices are on the EU wide market.
Table 3 outlines the prices paid for R3 grade heifers in the week ending 10 March 2013 and the week ending 7 April 2013. During this period the EU average price for R3 grading heifers increased by 3.7c/kg to 418.3c/kg.
With an equivalent R3 heifer price of 456.8c/kg in the week ending the 7 April GB has regained top spot on the EU prices league table. The GB R3 heifer price was 38.5p/kg above the EU average price for the week in question.
A strong increase was recorded in GB prices in euro terms (+19.7c/kg) despite a fall in the value of sterling against euro from £1= 86.5c in the week ending 10 March to £1= 84.8c in the week ending the 07 April.
A similar increase can be observed in the NI R3 heifer price, up by 19.5c/kg to 441.6p/kg in the week ending 7 April. This was 23.3c/kg above the EU average and moved it up one position on the league table to sixth place.
In the week ending 7 April the R3 heifer price in ROI was 444.5c/kg. This was up 17.6c/kg on the week ending the 10 March when the R3 heifer price was 427c/kg. This moved it up one position on the league table from sixth position to fifth.
The R3 heifer price in Greece in the week ending 7 April was up 14.5c/kg to 445c/kg and moved it up from fourth position into joint third on the league table.
Meanwhile in France the R3 heifer price was also 445c/kg, up 6c/kg on the previous month. In Sweden the R3 heifer price increased by 6c/kg to 449.2c/kg.
