The beef trade continues to move in the right direction, with all processors improving quotes for Monday’s kill.

Demand is high for slaughter-fit cattle, with all processors very active when it comes to buying this week’s supplies.

The general run of quotes is €4.90/kg to €4.95/kg for bullocks.

Heifers are along the same lines, with lots of factories quoting €4.90/kg, but paying €5.00/kg when pressure is applied.

Higher quotes are also available for those dealing in numbers and regular customers, with a few farmers dealing in bigger numbers able to squeeze €5.15/kg base price for this week for continental heifers.

Flat deals are also a big factor in the trade, with as high as €5.30/kg being paid for in-spec Aberdeen Angus heifers this week.

Factory agents were very busy in marts over the weekend buying factory-fit cattle, with some big numbers moving north also on the back of tight numbers of slaughter-fit cattle north of the border.

Bull trade

The bull trade also remains solid, with €5.10/kg being paid for U grading under-24-month bulls this week in some locations, up 10c/kg on last week’s quotes.

R grading bulls are being quoted at €4.90/kg to €5.00/kg, with a little more going to regular suppliers and those with numbers.

O and P grading bulls are trading at 5c/kg to 10c/kg less than this. Under-16-month bulls are generally working off base prices of €4.90/kg to €4.95/kg.

Cow prices

Well-fleshed P+3 cows continue to trade at €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg, depending on weight and quality.

O grading cows are working off €3.90/kg to €4.15/kg depending on the processor, while good R grading cows are coming in at €4.20/kg to €4.40/kg.

U grading cows are being quoted at €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg.