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There are signs of more stability in the trade in recent days, with prices remaining unchanged.
Steers are trading at a base of €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg, with heifers moving on a base of €4.05/kg to €4.10/kg.
The higher base prices are being secured by regular sellers handling higher numbers, with many having to dig in hard in negotiations or take advantage of interest from competing buyers, many of whom remain keen to lock into deals for bigger lots.
Plants continue to closely manage throughput, with producers in cases having to wait a number of days to move cattle, a stark change to the purchasing activity in November and December.
Cows and bulls
The trade for cows and bulls remains steady. Specialist finishers continue to move bulls in high numbers and this is reflected in a lift in purchasing activity in mart sales, with demand particularly strong for forward continental bulls suitable for a 16-month production system.
Prices are steady, with R grades trading in the main at €4.00/kg, although some plants are trying to quote €3.95/kg where bulls are traded in small numbers
Likewise, U grading bulls are trading from €4.05/kg to €4.10/kg, with deals in cases completed at a flat price of €4.05/kg for large lots comprising mainly R grading and also some U grading bulls.
Those less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling on a base of €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg, with the higher price in some deals confined to bulls with a carcase weight lower than 400kg to 420kg.
This also depends heavily on the seller’s relationship and numbers concerned. It also excludes the 12c/kg quality payment scheme bonus for those ticking all boxes on movements, quality assurance and fat cover.
The Department’s official price report clearly shows the level of variation between plants with different interest levels in the cow market.
This continues to deliver significant price variation, with P+3 grading cows trading from €3.15/kg to €3.30/kg, while fleshed O grades are selling from €3.30/kg to €3.45/kg.
R grading cows average €3.50/kg to €3.55/kg, but there are also prices rising to €3.60/kg and over for heavy fleshed cows.
The same plants are generally those paying a top price of €3.65/kg to €3.70/kg for top-quality heavy-carcase U grading cows.
The latest AHDB price report shows the British trade remaining under a period of price pressure.
R4L heifers have eased by 1p/kg further and range from £3.70/kg to £3.73/kg.
At 88p to the euro, this is the equivalent of €4.20/kg to €4.24/kg or €4.43/kg to €4.47/kg when VAT at 5.4% is added into calculations.
In contrast with Ireland, steers in Britain attract a premium over heifers, with the average price running 2p/kg to 3p/kg higher.
The northern trade is unchanged. The lowest U-3 base quotes are being offered at £3.48/kg to £3.50/kg, but most deals are being completed at £3.52/kg to £3.56/kg (€4.00/kg to €4.06/kg or €4.22/kg to €4.27/kg including VAT).
Returns paid to regular sellers remain in the low- to mid-£3.60s.
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