Foyle Meats, Donegal, has been the first out of the blocks again this week, with a further 10c/kg increase for bullocks and heifers.

Foyle Meats is paying a base price of €4.85/kg for heifers killing between 300kg and 400kg this week. It is paying €4.80/kg for bullocks killing out between 300kg and 400kg deadweight.

Moving further south, the general run of bullock quotes are working off €4.60/kg to €4.65/kg base price, while heifers are working off €4.70/kg to €4.75/kg.

Agents are eager for new business and deals are being done above these quotes depending on what type of numbers are involved.

Flat prices of as high as €5.30/kg are being paid for R grade Aberdeen Angus heifers, with mixes of O and R grading cattle attracting quotes of as high as €4.15/kg.

Bull quotes

Bulls continue to be sought after, with a top of €4.75/kg to €4.85/kg being quoted for under-24-month U grading bulls.

R grading bulls are being bought at €4.50/kg to €4.60/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought for around €4.30/kg to €4.35/kg. Numbers talk here and factories are willing to do deals with those with numbers and new custom.

R grades are being bought at €4.65/kg to €4.75/kg. Under-16-month bulls are working off €4.65/kg in some locations.

Cow quotes

Good-quality R and U grading cows are now hitting as high as €4.55/kg in factories, with some specialised operators very active for cows this week.

This demand is being fuelled by a big appetite for cow beef in the food service trade and a contracting kill of cows across the water leaving holes in supply chains that Irish processors have been quick to fill.

R grading cows are generally moving from €4.35/kg to €4.45/kg, with O grading cows back at €4.20/kg.

Mixed loads of O and P grading cows are also in demand, with as high as €4/kg to €4.10/kg being paid in some locations. Poorer-quality dairy cows lacking flesh are back at €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg.

Last week’s kill saw numbers stay pretty stable, with the kill remaining just below 35,000 at 34,811. This was similar to the week before at 34,855 head.

English trade

Across the water, the English beef trade continues to improve. Quotes have improved by 2p/kg last week to bring average steer prices to €5.17/kg, while average heifer prices have moved to €5.19/kg.

The UK is also trying to deal with a shortage of cow beef in the face of a huge increase in volumes of beef being bought for the food service trade.

Last week’s cow slaughter in the UK fell again, fuelling a further increase in quotes.

Further afield, the Brazilian price touched the equivalent of €4.00/kg on Monday of this week.

The increase was currency-driven, but it still puts the Irish beef price into context.

Looking at the Bord Bia beef market tracking graphs, we see that the Irish beef price continues to lag behind the EU benchmark price.

Last week’s EU benchmark price was at €4.53/kg, while the Irish beef price for all animals stood at €4.41/kg, 12c/kg behind our main market.

French young bulls hit €5.20/kg this week. R3 Polish bulls hit €4.73/kg this week, while young bulls in Sweden hit €5/kg.

NI comment

There is plenty of life in the beef trade in Northern Ireland.

Base quotes are up to 404p/kg (€5.13/kg inc VAT) for U-3 grading animals, a rise of 6p to 10p/kg on the week.

Price deals are also edging upwards, with steers on 416p to 418p/kg (€5.28 to €5.31/kg), with heifers moving at 420p/kg (€5.34/kg). Higher prices are reserved for specialist finishers.

Cull cows are on fire, with base quotes jumping 14p/kg (18c/kg) to 324p/kg (€4.11/kg) for R3 animals, but deals are well above 330p/kg (€4.19/kg).