The Christmas tills continue to ring in the ears of factories this week, as they scramble for cattle supplies all across the country. Base quotes continue to move upwards this week, with a number of factories that were slow to move their quotes up last week having to move up to get cattle.
The Christmas tills continue to ring in the ears of factories this week, as they scramble for cattle supplies all across the country.
Base quotes continue to move upwards this week, with a number of factories that were slow to move their quotes up last week having to move up to get cattle.
Bullock quotes range from €5.15/kg to €5.20/kg, with more going to those with numbers and regular customers
Heifer quotes are coming in at €5.20/kg to €5.25/kg, again with more going to regular customers.
Foyle Meats in Donegal continues to be top of the pile with its quote of €5.30/kg for bullocks killing out between 300kg and 400kg and its quote of €5.35/kg for heifers killing out at the same weight.
Factory agents continue to light up marts for factory-fit cattle, with words being exchanged in a number of marts this week between customers such is the pressure to secure slaughter-fit cattle.
Some have even resorted to buying lighter cattle with lower levels of flesh such is the demand for cattle at the moment.
Cows
The cow trade has also seen some improvement, with quotes lifting, especially for farmers with larger numbers to sell.
Factory agents and wholesalers are very active competing in marts again this week for slaughter-fit cows.
O+ suckler cows are generally working off €4.70/kg to €4.80/kg, while O grading dairy cows are being bought at €4.60/kg to €4.65/kg, depending on which factory you are dealing with.
R grading cows are being quoted at €4.90/kg to €5.00/kg and higher money is available where numbers are involved. P+3 cows are working off €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg, depending on weight, age and flesh cover.
Well-fleshed U grading cows continue to command a top price of €5.00/kg to €5.20/kg and over it for young fleshed heavy cows.
Good-quality feeding cows are making between €2.60/kg and €3.00/kg in marts, so it’s hard to argue with farmers who are choosing to sell in marts as opposed to fighting with agents for a few cents in a couple of weeks.
An 800kg cow killing out at 54% is a 432kg carcase. That means she has to come into €5.55/kg before any money is made on buying her in the mart and bringing her to the factory.
Bulls
Under-24-month bulls are still working off a €5.40/kg to €5.45/kg base price for U grading bulls.
R grading bulls are coming in at €5.30/kg to €5.35/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought at €5.15/kg to €5.20/kg.
P grading bulls are working off €5.00/kg, depending on weight and flesh cover.
Under-16-month bulls are generally working off €5.10/kg to €5.20/kg.
Last week’s kill came in at just under 34,000 head on the back of the four-day week, which was 1,000 head back on the same week in 2023.
Big numbers of cattle continue to be exported to Northern Ireland for direct slaughter on a weekly basis.
There were 819 cattle exported for direct slaughter last week and this number has consistently been knocking on the door of 1,000 head per week for the last two months, with farmers capitalising on the big price differential between here and Northern Ireland.
NI comment
Quotes are up 2p to 484p/kg (€6.11/kg inc VAT) for U-3 cattle at northern plants.
Plants are handling additional cattle in the run-up to Christmas and prices continue to hold around 500p/kg (€6.31/kg) for in-spec steers and heifers, despite the weekly kill hitting a new record high for NI last week.
Cull cows are a mixed trade, with good-quality suckler types on 390p to 410p/kg (€4.92 to €5.18/kg), whereas plainer, older cows are a harder sell.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: