A quick look back at last year’s beef prices shows the beef trade running in a similar vein as the first quarter in 2017. Steers were trading at a base of €3.95/kg, with those trading at the higher end of the market commanding a base of €4.00/kg. There was a similar trend for heifers, with the base price ranging from €4.05/kg to €4.10/kg.

As is also similar to 2017, the trade looks a little firmer, with numbers showing signs of tightening. Sellers trading at the top of the market are securing 3c/kg higher or allowances on transport, with the highest base prices paid at €4.05/kg for steer and €4.15/kg for heifers traded in large groups.

Bull prices

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Bull prices are also steady. The general trade for R grading bulls is €3.90/kg to €3.95/kg, with U grades selling from €4.00/kg to €4.10/kg. Regular sellers are, in cases, securing a flat price of €4.10/kg for sale groups including mainly U grading bulls, but also small numbers of R grades, with factories reluctant to exceed €4.10/kg.

In contrast with the trade for prime cattle, the cow trade is running 20c/kg to 30c/kg above levels experienced 12 months ago.

P+3 grading cows are trading on average from €3.30/kg to €3.40/kg, but up to 10c/kg higher has been paid for cows traded in big numbers. Likewise, O grading cows are trading anywhere from €3.40/kg to €3.55/kg, with R grades from €3.55/kg to €3.70/kg. Flat-priced deals for heavy R and U grading cows are rising to €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg in cow-specialist plants for young heavy carcase cows.

Northern prices

Northern beef prices are firm, with a high percentage of sellers trading at a U-3 steer and heifer base of £3.56/kg to £3.58/kg. This is the equivalent of €4.07/kg to €4.09/kg at 87.4p to the euro or €4.29/kg to €4.31/kg including VAT at 5.4%. Top prices paid to regular sellers are rising to a base of £3.60/kg (€4.33/kg) to £3.65/kg (€4.40/kg).