There is no change in the beef trade this week, with the majority of steers and heifers continuing to trade on a base of €3.75/kg and €3.85/kg respectively.

There are some deals being completed for 5c/kg higher, but these better prices are generally being restricted to regular sellers and where factories want stock at short notice.

Demand remains firm, but steady supplies coming on stream is reducing the pressure on agents to compete for stock, with the bank holiday playing even more into the favour of factories.

Last week’s kill reduced 659 head to 38,453, which is still well above the average for recent years and 1,010 head above the corresponding week in 2017.

Heifer throughput reduced 291 head last week to 9,592, while there were 185 fewer steers processed and 135 less cows killed.

Some agents are pointing to factories managing the kill closer this week, which appears to be particularly the case with cows. There are more cows appearing from dairy herds and providing agents with a good reserve.

Some plants have also used this as an opportunity to talk prices back, with a number of plants quoting 5c/kg lower.

This leaves P+3 grading cows at a range of €2.90/kg to €3.00/kg and O grading Friesians averaging €3.10/kg and possibly 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher for heavier better-quality types.

Sellers with poor-quality cows coming direct from the parlour are advised to query potential deductions before moving cows and also investigate if the mart trade may be a better fit.

Poor-quality light-carcase cows in the region of 200kg deadweight are priced back to €2/kg and lower in cases.

R grades are being opened in negotiations at €3.30/kg, but up to €3.45/kg is still being paid in cow-specialist plants, with good-quality U grades 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher.

Bull prices are unchanged, with a significant differential based on numbers on hand and the producer-processor relationship.

R grades range, in general, from €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg, with U grades from €3.85/kg to €3.95/kg, but up to 5c/kg higher has been paid to specialist finishers.

Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling in the main on a base of €3.75/kg, with €3.80/kg secured by a small number of finishers.

Northern trade

The trade is similar in the North, with supply satisfying demand. Base U-3 steer and heifers quotes remain at £3.50/kg to £3.54/kg or the equivalent of €3.95/kg to €3.99/kg at 88.7p to the euro and €4.16/kg to €4.21/kg including VAT at 5.4%.

Regular sellers are securing 2p/kg to 4p/kg higher, with top returns rising to £3.60/kg (€4.28/kg incl VAT) excluding breed bonuses.

Bulls are sticky, with plants prioritising steer and heifer throughput, with U grade bulls priced at £3.48/kg (€4.13/kg). Cows range from £2.60/kg to £2.80/kg (€3.09/kg to €3.33/kg) for R and U grades, with good O grading Friesians back to £2.40/kg to £2.50/kg (€2.85/kg to €2.97/kg incl VAT).

The recent price pressure on British beef prices is holding. AHDB’s latest market analysis shows last week’s average steer price easing slightly by 0.7p/kg, with R4L steers averaging £3.78/kg (€4.49/kg incl VAT), with heifers 2p/kg easier at an average R4L price of £3.75/kg (€4.46/kg).

Bulls recorded a fall in price of 8.8p/kg, with R3 bulls averaging £3.59/kg (€4.27/kg). Cow prices fell by an average of 4.5p/kg, with O3 grading cows ranging from £2.43/kg to £2.57/kg (€2.89/kg to €3.05/kg).

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Northern view: prime cattle steady but cow trade easing