Some of the larger factories continue to actively try to apply pressure to the beef trade this week, with some attempting to drop quotes by 10 cent/kg.
Base quotes for bullocks are working off quotes of €6.30-€6.40/kg, while base quotes for heifers are working off €6.40-€6.50/kg. Factories are getting very little cattle at the lower quotes.
Base prices of as high as €6.60/kg for heifers remain in some of the smaller establishments.
Breed bonuses continue to be paid out of between 10-20 cent/kg for in spec Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks and heifers.
P+3 cows are working off base quotes of €5.80-€5.90/kg. O grading cows are working off €5.90-€6/kg, while R grading cows are being quoted anywhere from €6.10-€6.20/kg.
Grass supplies
There continues to be higher numbers than normal of dairy cows coming to the market, especially in the south of the country where grass supplies continue to be under pressure and dairy farmers offload any cull cows earlier than usual.
The bull trade is generally trending 10 cent/kg behind where it was two weeks ago.
U grading bulls are working off a price of €6.50kg while R grading bulls are being bought at €6.40/kg this week.
Under 16 months bulls are working off base prices of between €6.20-€6.30/kg but numbers of these younger bulls are in short supply at the moment.
Prices across the water in Britain have generally been trading upwards in recent weeks, with R4L bullocks working off base prices of between 610-615p/kg (€7.09-€7.15/kg).
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