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Processors are firmly in control of the beef trade and farmers with cattle to sell are facing further price pressure this week.
For the fourth week in a row, processors have reduced their base price, with plants cutting quotes by 2p to 4p/kg.
This brings the range of official factory quotes for U3 grading cattle to 348p to 352p/kg for steers. Heifers are managing to secure 354p/kg at some plants.
Base quotes are running well behind last year, when plants were quoting 360p to 364p/kg on U3 cattle and deals of 2p to 8p/kg above base price were on offer.
Commenting on the current trade, cattle agents state that sales of beef have slowed over the past month and with fewer cattle required each week to fill orders, supplies of cattle coming on to the market are running ahead of demand.
As a result, a backlog of cattle is building which is allowing processors to manage supplies and, ultimately, control beef prices.
Delays
Farmers with cattle to sell are facing delays in getting cattle booked for slaughter and there are reports of a waiting period running from one to two weeks at present.
Negotiating on price is also difficult such is the availability of cattle. Farmers with bigger numbers to sell are securing deals of 356p to 358p/kg, with higher prices reserved for specialist finishers killing on a regular basis.
Last week, the average price paid on steers and heifers was static at 356.85p/kg. However, the average price paid on U3 steers fell by 3p/kg to 362.5p/kg with U3 heifers down 4p/kg to 364.3p/kg.
Just two cattle were imported for slaughter from the Republic of Ireland with 35 cattle imported from Britain.
Cows
The cow trade is also slowing as numbers increase. Quotes on O+3 cows ranged from 270p to 280p/kg with R3 cows on 280p to 290p/kg.
Lambs
After the holiday break, the lamb trade is down by 40p/kg or more and factory quotes are at 400p and 395p/kg, making a lamb worth up to £84 at the 21kg limit.
In the marts, the number of lambs on offer was down slightly on the pre-holiday trade and prices are fell by 40p/kg and more. In Kilrea, 450 lambs sold from 345p to 368p/kg, down by 65p/kg on their pre-holidays sale. Massereene sold 709 lambs making from 360p to 388p/kg, down 65p/kg on two weeks ago. In Saintfield, a show of 776 lambs made from 348p to 391p/kg down by 40p/kg.
At Rathfriland, a show of 805 lambs sold in the range 328p to 378p/kg. The overall average was 354p/kg, down by 48p/kg on the pre-holiday trade.
In Lisahally, the main run of 22kg to 23kg lambs made in the £81 to £82 range. Store lambs were cheap, with 20kg to 21kg making around £67 per head.
The fat ewe trade is holding and top prices are still firm. Swatragh sold 230 head to a top of £100. Top in Kilrea was £88 and in Massereene the top was £126 for a big sale of 395 head. Saintfield sold to £90. In Rathfriland, they sold 351 head to £108.
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