Beef quotes continue on a positive trend this week, with the good momentum of the last few weeks now bringing some processors to over €5/kg for heifers this week.

Procurement managers continue to be very anxious for stock and with stock light on the ground, they have had no choice but to increase quotes in order to secure supplies.

The general run of heifers are being bought at €5/kg base price this week, with some bigger suppliers able to squeeze 5c to 10c/kg more out of the market.

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Bullock prices

Bullocks are working off €4.90/kg, with a few larger feeders again able to squeeze €5/kg base price, especially where heifers are part of the deal.

A good deal of Aberdeen Angus heifers continue to be purchased on a flat-price basis and up to €5.30/kg is being paid for suitable quality assured heifers.

While this is likely to be the last week of a big kill, factory appetite for stock for next week and the week after appears good, with many lining up supplies for over the Christmas period.

With bank holidays taking place close to weekends this year, it has meant a more normal working period for factories over the Christmas period, with many factories killing a full week next week and a number of days the following week.

Cow prices

Cows continue to be an exceptional trade in marts, with factory agents and wholesalers paying the equivalent of over €5/kg for top-quality young cows around mart rings.

In the factory lairages, €4.80/kg is the tops for U grading cows, with a lot of processors getting top cows bought at €4.70/kg.

R grading cows are working off €4.50/kg to €4.60/kg, while O grading cows are coming in at €4.40/kg. P+3 cows are trading for as high €4.30/kg, depending on carcase weight.

Bulls

Bulls are also meeting good demand, with €5.20/kg on the table for U grading bulls this week. With the bull kill on the rise, some factories have given the nod to some of their larger finishers to fill up with bulls.

R grading bulls are generally coming in at €5/kg, with O and P black and white bulls working off €4.70/kg to €4.80/kg.

Under-16-month bulls are being quoted at €4.90/kg, but some processors have pushed quotes to €4.95/kg base price on the grid to secure bulls.

Last week’s kill came in at 36,146, a similar number to the previous week. Interestingly, the cow kill is back up again, with 11,125 cows killed last week, the highest in over 20 years.

The cow kill is up 2,138 head compared with the same week in 2021. The bullock kill remains steady, with just under 12,000 bullocks killed last week, a reduction of 400 head on the previous week.

The bull and heifer kill also remain steady. The prime cattle kill, excluding cows, dropped another 300 head last week.

Across the water, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) continues to report improved prices in UK markets.

Bullocks are trading as high as £4.50/kg (€5.52/kg incl VAT), with the prospects of further price increases before Christmas. The latest information on the Bord Bia beef price market tracker shows the gap has closed on the composite index to 31c/kg. The Irish composite price has lifted 24c/kg in the last month.

NI comment

There is plenty of life in the beef trade in Northern Ireland as factories hunt for cattle.

Base quotes improved by 2p/kg to 432p/kg (€5.29/kg inc VAT) for U-3 grading animals, although cattle continue to move well above this level.

Steers are moving around 448p/kg (€5.49/kg), with heifers on 450p/kg (€5.52/kg) and deals including free haulage.

Cows are on base of 350p/kg (€4.29/kg) for R3 animals, but deals start around 370p/kg (€4.53/kg).