Beef quotes slip as factories play hard ball

Beef quotes have taken a hit this week, with most factories reducing quotes by 10-20c/kg on the previous week’s quotes.

They are citing poorer demand from supermarkets in the UK for product in the last two weeks, as some claim to be winding up Christmas buying next week. Weather conditions are also playing into their hands, with an increased number of finished cattle coming on stream over the last two weeks as farmers took cattle in off land.

Bullocks are working off a base of €7.40/kg, with heifers coming in at €7.50/kg this week. Flat prices of as high as €8/kg are still on the table for in-spec Aberdeen Angus heifers, with flat prices of €7.60/kg also available for continental cattle.

Cows have eased back a little, with P+3 cows coming in at €6.70/kg to €6.80/kg. Good O-grading with flesh are still making €6.80/kg to 6.90/kg, with quality R-grading cows coming in at €7.00/kg and a little above it in some locations.

The run-up to Christmas always sees demand drop a little for cows, as processors concentrate on prime beef. Last week’s kill came in at just over 32,000, a rise for the second week in row.

This was up from 31,382 head last week and up 29,776 from the previous week.

In Northern Ireland, beef quotes remain steady with 665p/kg (€7.94/kg including VAT) still on the table for in-spec cattle.