The beef trade has kicked on again this week, with quotes improving across the board for a number of categories of stock.

Foyle Meats, Donegal, has increased quotes to €4.55/kg for heifers when the 10c/kg bonus is included for heifers killing out between 300kg and 400kg.

It also moved its bullock quotes up to €4.50/kg when the 10c/kg bonus is included.

This increase has meant all other factories have had to increase quotes to keep pace with Donegal Meats. Quotes

Most factories are working off somewhere between €4.30/kg and €4.40/kg for bullocks and €4.35/kg and €4.45/kg for heifers.

Regular suppliers and those with numbers are working 5c to 10c/kg ahead of these quotes.

There’s a marked difference in the tone of procurement managers on Monday, with many now looking for stock for the end of this week, let alone lining up next week’s kill.

Finished cattle remain in very tight supply and anybody with numbers at the moment has the ball at their foot, with factories paying out higher prices than quotes given when pushed.

Cow trade

The cow trade is also very steady, with a few factories improving quotes, with €4.00/kg to €4.10/kg being paid freely for good R grading cows. U grading cows are trading at 10c to 15c/kg higher.

O grading cows are coming in at €3.75/kg to €3.85/kg. Better suckler O grades are pushing into €3.90/kg if part of a load.

P+3 cows are being quoted at €3.70/kg to €3.80/kg.

Factory agents remain very active around mart rings sourcing heavy cows. If farmers are just selling one or two cows, the mart ring is the place to sell them.

Bulls

Bulls are in demand, with a number of factories now paying €4.45/kg for under-24-month U grading bulls, with €4.30/kg to €4.35/kg being quoted for R grading bulls.

Some factories are paying €4.20/kg to €4.30/kg for mixtures of O and P black and white bulls.

Under-16-month bulls are working off €4.30/kg, with more going for bigger numbers.