All of the factories have made big cuts to quotes for clean cattle this week, taking off up to 10p and 12p/kg. This puts quotes for U-3 grade steers and heifers at 330p, with one factory at 334p/kg. The cuts to quotes in NI are much more severe than those being experienced in Britain, where prices are generally down 2p to 5p/kg, leaving R4 grades around 355p to 360p/kg.

After a number of months where NI prices were on a par with counterparts in Britain, a gap has started to emerge. However, sources in the trade maintain that local factories have been haemorrhaging a lot of money in recent weeks. That will be little consolidation to finishers, who are also facing heavy losses at current prices.

While some are trying to talk the trade down even further, others think the bottom has now been reached in quotes. It all depends on the numbers of cattle coming forward. The situation is not helped in NI by a number of factories moving to short weeks, meaning that some suppliers have had to wait over two weeks to get cattle killed. Farmers have also questioned the number of southern Irish-tagged cattle appearing in some meat plants, which normally concentrate solely on UK-tagged cattle. The explanation from the trade is that these cattle are being killed on contract for secondary meat suppliers.

The number imported for direct slaughter from the south last week was 494 head. Exports to the south were 266 and 69 went across to Britain.

The kill last week was up 500 head to 8,562, but on a par with kills during February and March. The increased kill was partly due to one factory agreeing to slaughter an extra day after pressure from suppliers to get cattle moved. Prices paid last week for steers and heifers were down 5p/kg to average 339.7p/kg. They are the lowest prices since October and November. The fat cow trade has edged back by 6p and 10p and the market for R and O+ grade cows is from 240p to 250p/kg.

Hoggets

Hogget quotes this week at the plants have eased to 410p and 405p/kg. Spring lambs are at 460p, but the price is fragile as there are too many lambs on offer.

In the marts, hogget prices fell. Last Saturday, Omagh had a show of 1,291 hoggets selling from 322p to 389p, down around 20p/kg.

This week, in Kilrea, a show of 619 hoggets sold from 348p to 394p, down around 12p/kg.

Saintfield, Tuesday, sold 655 hoggets from 340p to 415p. Good 24kg hoggets made £85 to £87, down £3 to £5 a head.

Rathfriland sold 500 hoggets from 322p to 382p and averaged 350p, down 14p. They had 92 spring lambs selling from 400p to 472p and averaging 436p/kg.

The trade for well-fleshed fat ewes is still good, with top prices of £109 in Swatragh, £124 in Omagh, £133 in Kilrea, £120 in Saintfield and £127 in Rathfriland.