Prices remain buoyant with the weekly kill down to the level normally associated with a bank holiday week. The beef kill in June this year was the lowest on record since 1999.

The average weekly kill last month was 7,300 head, 200 less than a typical June week. Over the last six weeks, there have been 8% fewer animals in abattoirs. Tight supply has pushed prices 8-11% higher.

“The increase in store prices is welcome, but while it is fine in the short term, we would prefer to see a consistency in numbers,” chair of the Scottish Beef Association Neil McCorkindale said.

“We continue to be alarmed by the drop in suckler cow numbers.”

Supplies are further tightened by a 0.5% drop in carcase weights. Lighter steers are taking 7.5kg of beef off every carcase.

Advice from abattoirs last year to castrate bulls seems to have been taken up by farmers. The young bull kill has dropped by a fifth.