Price changes at the farmgate take a long time to reach the supermarket shelves. Here AHDB look at analysis that measures how long that delay is and how much of the change in retail prices can be linked to changes in carcase price.
Deadweight cattle prices reached record highs in 2025, peaking at over 700p/kg. Since then, prices have steadily fallen, levelling out at around 600p/kg.
Retail prices, however, haven’t followed this trend. This is because it takes time for price changes to move through the supply chain, from processors and packers to distributors and retailers.