Frustration is mounting in finisher circles in relation to the current beef prices farmers are being paid for their finished cattle.

Beef quotes continue to come under pressure, with factories still very downbeat in relation to beef markets.

Bullocks are being quoted at €5.00/kg to €5.05/kg this week, with heifers moving at €5.05/kg to €5.10/kg.

The higher end of these quotes are being reserved for bigger feeders and regular customers.

Breed bonuses are still on the table, ranging from 10c/kg to 30c/kg for in-spec Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle.

Young bulls

Young bull quotes are back a shade, with U grading bulls now back at €5.10/kg to €5.55/kg.

R grading under-24-month bulls are being quoted at €5.00/kg to €5.05/kg, with O grading bulls back at €4.85/kg to €4.95/kg.

P grading under-24-month bulls are working off €4.80/kg this week. Under-16-month bulls are being quoted at €5.00/kg on the grid.

Cows

The cow trade has taken a further knock, with factories reporting higher numbers of cows available to choose from over the last few days.

U grading cows are trading anywhere from €4.60/kg to €4.70/kg, with plants most active for top-quality cows continuing to show a keen appetite for the right stock.

R grading cows are trading from €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg depending on the factory. Some processors are trying to quote lower than this, but are doing very little business at the lower money.

O grading cows are at €4.20/kg to €4.30/kg, with P grading cows coming in at €4.00/kg to €4.10/kg, depending on weight and flesh cover.

'Justification'

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) beef chair Edmund Graham has called on the meat industry to explain why vast quantities of beef are being imported into the country and where it is ending up.

“Figures published by the CSO show that 14,119t of beef was imported into Ireland in the first three months of this year, which is equivalent to over 40,000 head of cattle.

"For a beef exporting nation, that is a lot of technically unnecessary beef coming in and we want to know their justification for it,” he said.

Graham said he is also calling on Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to provide more detail around where this beef is being imported from and which markets it is servicing.

We need assurances that our world class traceability standards are not being compromised

“While we know the majority of beef imports are coming in from the UK, we do not know if it actually originated in the UK or if it came from further afield via UK processing facilities.

"Either way, it’s a lot of beef and we need assurances that our world class traceability standards are not being compromised.

"In our view, there is no reason for our multinational beef processors or retailers to import beef under the noses of local suppliers and then complain about demand being down.”