A tightening in supplies has helped push up cattle prices over the past week.

Farmers with larger lots of in-spec animals are typically receiving a base of €4.00/kg for steers and €4.10/kg for heifers, an increase of 5c/kg to 10c/kg on the previous week.

With the balance of power moving in farmers’ favour, IFA livestock chair Henry Burns has urged all farmers to demand an immediate 10c/kg price increase.

According to Burns, weight limits are becoming less of an issue as supplies tighten, with factories doing deals with no upper weight limit.