Tight supplies continue to dominate proceedings in the beef trade. Agents remain very active and are operating more and more outside their normal catchment area in a bid to source additional numbers. Factories have also increased prices to secure sales with a higher percentage of steers now moving at a base of €4.10/kg while heifers are split on a base of €4.15/kg to €4.20/kg. More sellers are having success in negotiating the higher quote as time goes on with producers offering significant numbers securing a base of €4.20/kg with greater ease.

Most plants are trying their best to keep a lid on price but at the same time are slow to miss out on any sales. This is especially evident for out-of-spec stock with plants slow to show their hand to competitors but giving the message to producers to revert back before selling elsewhere. Plants vary in their stance on overage and overweight cattle. Some are still trying to impose a carcase weight limit of 430kg for stock aged over 30 months of age and especially over 36 months of age. Others are quoting a cut-off of 450kg to 460kg carcase weight for aged stock while many are waving weight limits up to 460kg where animals on offer represent a small percentage of a larger group of in-spec animals aged less than 30 months. Penalties being imposed range anywhere from 5c/kg to 15c/kg.

More U16 month bulls

Reports indicate there are noticeably more bulls less than 16 months of age being traded. The base price on offer ranges from €4.00/kg to €4.05/kg with the higher base generally coming with stricter carcase weight limits of 420kg to 430kg. This base excludes the 12c/kg QPS bonus for in-spec stock. Bulls aged under 24 months of age also continue to creep up in price. The general price on offer is €4.05/kg for R’s and €4.10/kg for U’s with specialised finishers handling higher numbers securing an extra 5c/kg to 10c/kg. Small numbers of Friesian bulls in the market are selling from €3.85/kg to €3.95/kg for fleshed O=/+ grading lots.

Demand for manufacturing beef

The cow trade is being aided by a recovery in demand for manufacturing beef. Sales have improved with the upturn in weather and many industry sources are predicting continued demand as we approach the European Championships. Cow prices are very variable, as has been the case for several weeks, with a wide differential between plants with a small interest in cows and those dominant in the market. P+3 grading cows are trading are trading anywhere from €3.15/kg to €3.30/kg with O grades from €3.30/kg to €3.45/kg. R and U grades are moving in the main from €3.50/kg to €3.65/kg with specialist plants paying 10c/kg extra.

Four-day week

With today being a Bank Holiday in the North and in Britain, plants are keen to get back on track with agents active over the weekend to ensure a strong kill tomorrow. Quotes remain largely unchanged at a U-3 base of £3.16/kg (€4.37/kg including VAT) while reports indicate prices in the region of 4p/kg to 8p/kg higher are being secured by producers with high numbers.