The beef trade is set to finish the year on an even keel, with prices relatively unchanged again this week.

With plants closed next Monday and Tuesday, cattle agents are under less pressure to source numbers and, as a result, they have eased quotes.

Processors are now working on base quotes of 350p to 352p/kg for U-3 grade cattle.

However, cattle agents are mainly sourcing from their regular suppliers. As such, there is no real change to price deals on offer.

Farmers report plants are opening on 356p/kg in the vast majority of cases for in-spec cattle, with 358p to 360p/kg being paid to keep sufficient numbers of cattle coming on to the market .

Deals are being reported at higher levels, with farmers indicating they have secured 362p to 364p/kg on bigger supply numbers with some deals including transport.

While quotes have eased, the fact that cattle prices have avoided any real price pressure is to be welcomed and, once again, it highlights the demand for beef.

Some agents indicate they already have cattle booked for the latter half of next week and the first week of January.

In the majority of cases, these cattle are being supplied by larger finishers who supply animals on a weekly or fortnightly basis. As such, price deals on offer are running well ahead of the current base quotes.

Looking to January, farmers who sell smaller numbers on a less frequent basis could possibly lose out if the demand for beef weakens and cattle prices do come under pressure. A lot will depend on the beef trade in Britain, where supplies are much tighter than here.

Cows

Cows remain on 265p to 275p/kg for O+3 animals, with R3 cows on a best quote of 280p/kg and deals of 290p to 300p/kg on offer for good-quality animals.

Lamb trade

Quotes at the plants are steady this week, with 390p/kg on offer, making a lamb worth £85.80 at the 22kg weight limit. With a two-day closure for Christmas, the need for lambs is reduced.

In the marts, numbers were up substantially after the snow of the previous week. Prices did not change by much, with small increases for some types of lambs in Massereene and Saintfield.

In Kilrea, 380 lambs sold from 343p to 373p/kg, down from 6p to 15p/kg on last week.

Massereene sold 1,120 lambs making from 350p to 382p/kg, up by 6p/kg for the lighter lamb. Lambs from 25kg to 28kg made £90 to £94; with 23kg selling to £87 and 22kg to £84.50/head.

In Saintfield, a sale of 703 lambs made from 350p to 400p/kg, up by 4p/kg for heavier lambs.

There were more fat ewes on offer and top prices were lower in some of the marts, but the trade mainly held steady.

Ewes sold to a top of £83.50 in Swatragh for 69 sold. Omagh had 215 ewes selling to £96/head. In Kilrea, the top price was £75 for a show of 30 ewes. In Massereene, the top was £113 for Charollais, £104 for Texel and £100 for Suffolks. In Saintfield, the top was £96 for 66 ewes sold.