Agents remain active for in-spec stock but price pressure and negativity on out of spec stock continues. Plants persist in their preference for steers and heifers ticking the boxes on age, weight and quality assurance status with a base of €3.90/kg for steers and €4.00/kg for heifers most common. Deals above this are hard to come by with large-scale finishers and regular sellers among the small number securing 5c/kg higher.

The factory stance on overweight and overage stock varies greatly between plants. Some plants are happy to deal with customers in offering the same base for cattle aged 30 to 36 months and imposing a 10c/kg penalty thereafter. Others are trying to offer a 5c to 10c/kg lower base for animals over 30 months with a couple of plants refusing to put bullocks over 36 months on the grid and quoting a flat price of €3.70/kg.

What factories deem as in-spec is coming more to the fore with a focus on Angus and Hereford gaining momentum. Bonus payments of 20c/kg are common at this stage of the year with producers tied into advance contract agreements securing up to 35c/kg.

Bull throughput continues to rise with the Department estimating last week’s throughput rising from 2,865 to over 3,600. The increase is contributing to total throughput rising by an estimated 800 head to over 33,000. R and U grades continue to trade in the main at €3.90/kg and €4.00/kg respectively. Some plants are paying up to 450kg carcase weight without imposing price penalties but a large percentage are trying to push through cuts over 400kg to 420kg carcase weight and offering a base of €3.80/kg. Bulls under 16 months are trading at base of €3.85/kg to €3.90/kg with plants again restricting carcase weights to 400kg.