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With no change to beef prices over the last week, average steer and heifer prices have followed a static pattern since the start of January.
The pattern is the same as a year earlier but at a 10c/kg lower level. There has also been very little variation in the weekly kill over the last five weeks, which, when calf throughput is excluded, ranges from 34,000 to 35,000 head. The latter continues to rise, with 1,168 calves processed last week from a total kill of 35,834.
Most steers and heifers are trading at a base of €3.80/kg and €3.90/kg respectively. Small numbers of steers are trading at a base of €3.75/kg and, likewise, there are a few steers selling above a base of €3.80/kg. A higher base price of €3.92/kg to €3.95/kg for heifers has been secured by large-scale finishers or sellers with significant numbers of choice heifers weighing 330kg to 360kg carcase weight. In other cases, deals include transport.
Lively cow trade
The cow trade remains vibrant, with plants very active in marts and direct farm sales. These plants can be quickly seen in the Department of Agriculture’s official price tables, which also show the wide differential that remains between plants.
P+3 grade cows are selling from €2.90/kg to €3.10/kg, with O grade cows from €3.15/kg to €3.25/kg. Flat-priced deals for Os and Ps of €3.20/kg have been reported as paid to agents for large numbers. This also gives an insight into the strong purchasing power of buyers at the ringside.
R grade cows are selling from €3.30/kg to €3.40/kg in the main, with heavy, well conformed cows selling to €3.45/kg in cow-specialist plants.
U grade cows are selling from €3.40/kg to €3.55/kg to a top of €3.60/kg.
The number of bulls in the market fell 233 head last week to 4,348, a fall of close to 1,000 head over the last two weeks. Price also remains unchanged. R grade cows are selling from €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg, with U grades starting at €3.80/kg for heavier bulls or deals involving small numbers and rising to €3.90/kg.
Friesian bulls are trading from €3.55/kg to €3.60/kg for plainer-quality O- types, rising 5c/kg to 10c/kg for better quality O=/+ and R- bulls. Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling on a base of €3.80/kg.
The number of cattle exported live increased 3,000 head to 8,302 in the latest figures for the week ending 26 February.
There were 6,646 calves exported live – 4,395 bull calves to the Netherlands, 1,947 bull calves to Spain and 271 bull calves to Belgium.
The volume of weanlings exported remains steady at 452 head, with 197 exported to Italy, 100 to Spain and 85 heifers to Wales. Wales also imported 72 older heifers, likely linked to a steady trade of dairy replacement heifers.
Northern Ireland imported a total of 786 head, with DAERA analysis showing more than 300 head of these animals destined for direct slaughter.
Purcells’ deal for 20,000 weanlings is also adding more life into the mart trade.
The Northern trade is also unchanged, with U-3 steer and heifer base quotes ranging from £3.40/kg to £3.46/kg at the higher end of the market. Sterling has crept back up to 86.7p to the euro, giving the equivalent price of €4.12/kg to €4.19/kg. Regular sellers continue to secure 4p/kg to 6p/kg higher.
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