This puts the best quote for U-3 grade steers and heifers at 312p/kg at one plant, with 310p offered by the others.

However, there has been a gradual increase in resistance from farmers to the lower quotes on offer and an increasing sense that the bottom has been reached in the trade.

A slight tightening in supply in England has helped to steady prices there, which should also be reflected in the market in NI.

The immediate prospect of a lift in local prices is not that encouraging, with some factories maintaining that they are booked out for the next three weeks.

With limited kill space and plenty of cattle on offer, farmers continue to be forced on to the market without a price agreed beforehand.

Sources in the trade maintain that beef sales remain slow, meaning that their chills are well filled with beef.

A rethink is urgently required within the entire industry about the merits of winter finishing.

The volatile prices seen in 2014 and 2015 are unsustainable for beef producers.

The kill last week was up 700 head to total 8,174. It is the largest weekly kill since the end of March, although still 1,000 head off a typical peak weekly kill.

The prices paid last week continued their downward trend, with steers and heifers averaging 315.3p/kg, the lowest average since early September 2014.

Current prices are 35p/kg behind the trade at the start of the year.

The fat cow quotes are steady and best quotes are at 250p for an R grade and 240p and 235p/kg for an O+ grade cow.

Average cow price has remained reasonably steady for the first five months of the year, suggesting that there is still a fairly robust market for manufacturing beef.

Spring lamb

The better prices paid last week were short-lived and the labelling issues surrounding NI spring lamb killed in the south has curtailed the prices which southern buyers pay for northern lamb.

Quotes in the plants have dropped 40p to 360p in one plant and no quote at the other.

In the marts, southern buyers were reluctant to bid and prices dropped by £8 to £10 a head. In Kilrea, 300 springs made £70 to £80, down £8.

In Massereene, 603 head sold from 330p to 350p/kg, down 40p and £10 a head. One seller, who sold similar lambs on the same day last year, was down £21 a head this year. An analysis shows that £13 of the drop was due to the weakening of the euro against sterling; the remaining £8 of the drop was due to the weaker trade caused by the labelling issues and lack of demand from the south.

Saintfield sold 350 head from 310p to 370p, down 30p, or £8 a head.

The first pens in Ballymena, Wednesday, saw 20.5kg making £66 (322p/kg); 21.5kg making £68 (316p); and 25kg Dorsets making £72 (288p/kg).

However, the trade in fat ewes remains firm, with prices to a top of £135 in Omagh, £118 in Swatragh and £108 in Saintfield.