Last week’s beef kill recorded another week of strong throughput, with 36,152 head processed.
Despite several weeks of high throughput, factories remain eager to continue to maximise throughput, with agents more willing to compete outside of normal catchment areas in recent weeks.
Demand is stronger in the east and southeast where there is less weather-related pressure on finishers to move stock.
Some plants sticking
This has witnessed some plants, who were trying hard to stick to a base of €3.75/kg for steers, raise their offered price to €3.80/kg, while, at the top of the market, a base of €3.82/kg to €3.85/kg has been paid for choice lots to large-scale finishers.
A lower base of €3.75/kg is being offered by plants who are under less pressure to source stock, while some sellers have also commented that plants are resisting increasing quotes for Angus and Hereford cattle.
A similar trend is evident for heifers, with stock moving on a base of €3.90/kg in the main, although heifers trading in small numbers are still moving in cases at a base of €3.85/kg.
Top of market
At the top of the market, a base of €3.93/kg to €3.95/kg has been paid to regular sellers handling higher numbers, with some independent plants particularly active for good-quality heifers.
Cows also appear to be more in demand, with this reflected in direct sales and also in a livelier mart trade.
P+3 grading cows are selling in general from €3.10/kg to €3.20/kg, with prices in cases 5c/kg either side of the price range.
Fleshed O grading cows are trading on average for €3.30/kg, with prices at the lower end starting at €3.25/kg and rising to €3.35/kg.
R grades are selling to €3.50/kg in plants most active in the cow trade, with these plants also paying a top price of €3.60/kg to €3.65/kg for heavy well-finished U grading cows.
Like cows, there is significant variation in the bull trade.
This is seen not only between plants, but also within plants, depending on the sellers’ negotiating power.
R and U grading bulls are selling in the main for €3.80/kg to €3.85/kg and €3.90/kg to €3.95/kg respectively, but top prices for U grade bulls have increased to €4.00/kg and slightly over to specialist finishers.
Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling on a base of €3.80/kg on average.
NI trade
Quotes in northern plants are showing signs of improving, with most lifting 2p/kg. The lowest quotes reported are a U-3 base of £3.46/kg to £3.48/kg. Sterling continues to strengthen slowly to the euro, moving from 87.9p on Monday to 87.5p on Wednesday.
At this rate, the base entry quotes equate to €4.17/kg to €4.19/kg including VAT at 5.4%. However, there are only small numbers of cattle moving at this lower base, with most starting quotes closer to £3.50/kg (€4.20/kg), with many prices rising to £3.54/kg (€4.26/kg).
The LMC’s latest market bulletin shows the northern kill for the last 12-week period (68,679) running 7% or 4,556 head above the same period in 2016 on the back of higher numbers of slaughter-fit animals in the market.
However, it now appears that numbers are starting to tighten, with reports yesterday of farmers trading at the top of the market securing £3.56/kg to £3.58/kg (€4.29/kg to €4.31/kg).
Meanwhile, British prices are holding steady, despite a marginal increase in throughput, with R4L heifers averaging around £3.84/kg (€4.62/kg), with steers holding 2p/kg to 3p/kg higher.
Read more
Tighter numbers give cattle prices a boost
Download the Irish Farmers Journal news app today and get the latest prices for all grades and all factories through the built-in Livestock Tool.
Last week’s beef kill recorded another week of strong throughput, with 36,152 head processed.
Despite several weeks of high throughput, factories remain eager to continue to maximise throughput, with agents more willing to compete outside of normal catchment areas in recent weeks.
Demand is stronger in the east and southeast where there is less weather-related pressure on finishers to move stock.
Some plants sticking
This has witnessed some plants, who were trying hard to stick to a base of €3.75/kg for steers, raise their offered price to €3.80/kg, while, at the top of the market, a base of €3.82/kg to €3.85/kg has been paid for choice lots to large-scale finishers.
A lower base of €3.75/kg is being offered by plants who are under less pressure to source stock, while some sellers have also commented that plants are resisting increasing quotes for Angus and Hereford cattle.
A similar trend is evident for heifers, with stock moving on a base of €3.90/kg in the main, although heifers trading in small numbers are still moving in cases at a base of €3.85/kg.
Top of market
At the top of the market, a base of €3.93/kg to €3.95/kg has been paid to regular sellers handling higher numbers, with some independent plants particularly active for good-quality heifers.
Cows also appear to be more in demand, with this reflected in direct sales and also in a livelier mart trade.
P+3 grading cows are selling in general from €3.10/kg to €3.20/kg, with prices in cases 5c/kg either side of the price range.
Fleshed O grading cows are trading on average for €3.30/kg, with prices at the lower end starting at €3.25/kg and rising to €3.35/kg.
R grades are selling to €3.50/kg in plants most active in the cow trade, with these plants also paying a top price of €3.60/kg to €3.65/kg for heavy well-finished U grading cows.
Like cows, there is significant variation in the bull trade.
This is seen not only between plants, but also within plants, depending on the sellers’ negotiating power.
R and U grading bulls are selling in the main for €3.80/kg to €3.85/kg and €3.90/kg to €3.95/kg respectively, but top prices for U grade bulls have increased to €4.00/kg and slightly over to specialist finishers.
Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling on a base of €3.80/kg on average.
NI trade
Quotes in northern plants are showing signs of improving, with most lifting 2p/kg. The lowest quotes reported are a U-3 base of £3.46/kg to £3.48/kg. Sterling continues to strengthen slowly to the euro, moving from 87.9p on Monday to 87.5p on Wednesday.
At this rate, the base entry quotes equate to €4.17/kg to €4.19/kg including VAT at 5.4%. However, there are only small numbers of cattle moving at this lower base, with most starting quotes closer to £3.50/kg (€4.20/kg), with many prices rising to £3.54/kg (€4.26/kg).
The LMC’s latest market bulletin shows the northern kill for the last 12-week period (68,679) running 7% or 4,556 head above the same period in 2016 on the back of higher numbers of slaughter-fit animals in the market.
However, it now appears that numbers are starting to tighten, with reports yesterday of farmers trading at the top of the market securing £3.56/kg to £3.58/kg (€4.29/kg to €4.31/kg).
Meanwhile, British prices are holding steady, despite a marginal increase in throughput, with R4L heifers averaging around £3.84/kg (€4.62/kg), with steers holding 2p/kg to 3p/kg higher.
Read more
Tighter numbers give cattle prices a boost
Download the Irish Farmers Journal news app today and get the latest prices for all grades and all factories through the built-in Livestock Tool.
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