Base prices are unchanged at the start of the week. Steers are moving in the main at a base of €3.70/kg although small numbers are being purchased from specialised finishers trading at the higher end of the market at a base of €3.75/kg. There is greater scope to secure this in the east and south with ground conditions leading to cattle moving swiftly on the western half of the country.

A similar trend is evident with heifers with the most common base price being €3.80/kg and smaller numbers trading at a base of €3.85/kg. Competition remains stronger than for steers with numbers tighter and ranging in recent weeks from 40% to 50% of the steer kill or approximately 7,500 head.

Bull prices have also stabilised in recent days with R grades trading from €3.70/kg to €3.75/kg and U grades to €3.80/kg. Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are being quoted a base of €3.70/kg to €3.75/kg with the higher base for lighter bulls less than 400kg to 420kg carcase weight.

The number of dairy cows continues to rise slowly and is replacing falling numbers of cows finished by specialised finishers. Prices range anywhere from €2.80/kg to €3.00/kg for P+3 grading cows with fleshed O grading Friesians from €2.90/kg to €3.10/kg. Light carcase cows lacking flesh and killing at fat cover 1 are being penalised by 30c/kg to 50c/kg depending on the purchasing plant.

NI & GB solid

The northern and British trade remains in complete contrast to the south of Ireland. Base quotes for U-3= steers and heifers remain at a range of £3.34/kg to £3.40/kg in northern plants but as has been the case in recent weeks quotes of 4p/kg to 8p/kg higher are being negotiated at the top of the market. With the sterling exchange rate weakening again to 87p to the euro, this equates to €4.03/kg to €4.10/kg including VAT. Heifers are attracting the strongest competition. The British trade is solid with R4L steer and heifers on average ranging in price from £3.65/kg to £3.70/kg (€4.41/kg to €4.47/kg).