The beef trade has steadied this week, but deals continue to be offered well above factory quotes of 350p to 356p/kg for U-3 grading animals.

There are mixed signals coming from the processing side, as some cattle agents say more cattle are available and they are fully booked for next week.

However, throughput is being boosted with cull cows and lower-grading cattle suited to the manufacturing beef trade.

Other agents indicate that the supply of prime cattle remains tight and they expect to see base quotes rising.

Price deals on offer would tend to indicate that cattle are in demand, with reports of 356p to 358p/kg being offered as a starting price.

Farmers report that 360p to 362p/kg is widely available on steers and good-quality suckler-bred bulls under 16 months and 400kg carcase weight.

Where bigger numbers of steers and heifers are on offer, there are deals being made at 364p to 366p/kg. At the top end of the market, 370p/kg is being reported on larger numbers of in-spec heifers.

Last week, the average price paid on steers and heifers was static, averaging 359.2p/kg. The average price paid on U3 steers was unchanged on 359.2p/kg, with U3 heifers rising to an average of 365.1p/kg.

Cattle prices have eased south of the border, leading to a rise in the number of cattle imported for slaughter at northern plants. Last week, 415 animals moved north compared with 223 the previous week.

Demand for cattle in Britain continues to strengthen and 79 animals were shipped from NI to slaughter plants across the water. In Scotland, U grading animals have crossed the 390p/kg mark, while R4 grading cattle in England averaged 380.7p/kg last week.

Cows

Quotes on cows are 275p/kg for O+3 animals and 285p/kg for R grades, with reports that 300p/kg is freely available on good-quality beef animals.

Lamb trade

With plenty of lambs on offer, the trade has slackened this week and the plants have taken 10p/kg off quotes. Base is now 385p/kg, making a lamb worth £80.85 at the 21kg limit.

In the marts, there were more lambs forward and prices weakened.

In Kilrea, they sold 460 lambs from 346p to 387p/kg, down by 6p/kg for heavier lambs, but up 17p/kg for lighter lambs.

Massereene sold 1,226 lambs making from 345p to 370p/kg. A big pen of clipped lambs at 22.5kg made £81. Lambs at 24kg made £84 to £87.50. Lambs at 22kg made £77; with 20.5kg at £72.50.

In Saintfield, 909 lambs made from 325p to 370p/kg, down by 15p/kg for heavier lambs and unchanged for lighter sorts.

At Rathfriland, they had 1,099 on offer, selling from 322p to 391p/kg. They averaged 334p/kg, back by 27p/kg on last week.

Ewes

The fat ewe trade is slower this week, back about £10/head. The top price in Newtownstewart was £77.50. Omagh sold 365 head to a top of £95. Swatragh sold 333 head to a top of £80. Top in Massereene was £92 for Suffolks, £90 for Charollais, £72 for Mules and £53 for Blackface. Saintfield had a big sale of 40 ewes selling to a top of £100. In Rathfriland, they sold to £80.

In Ballymena, forward store lambs were a very good trade. The best Texels made £67 to £72.50 with Suffolks making £69. Cheviot cross hoggets for breeding sold to £168 and £160 per head.