The beef trade has finally turned the corner after four weeks of quotes slipping. Factory agents are back out in force this week looking for slaughter-fit cattle.
Official quotes remain at €7.10/kg for bullocks, but there is a lot more going when pressure is applied. Heifer base prices are starting at €7.20/kg, but there are a lot more heifers moving at €7.30/kg this week. Flat prices are also coming in as high as €7.70/kg being paid this week to secure in-spec Aberdeen Angus heifers.
Last week’s kill came in at just over 30,000 head, up about 500 head on the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2024, the kill was back just under 10,000 last week.
Excluding calves, this year’s cattle kill is just over 91,000 behind last year. Trade north of the border is holding steady, with 655p/kg (€7.91/kg including VAT) available for in-spec stock. Cows have also seen a lift in price, with as high as €7.00/kg paid for R-grading cows. P+3 cows are generally moving at €6.50/kg.
The cow kill is stable, at just under 6,000 cows being killed weekly at the moment. That figure was 8,600 cows per week for the same week last year. Some processors have started to talk about the Christmas trade, with buying expected to begin earlier this year.
The beef trade has finally turned the corner after four weeks of quotes slipping. Factory agents are back out in force this week looking for slaughter-fit cattle.
Official quotes remain at €7.10/kg for bullocks, but there is a lot more going when pressure is applied. Heifer base prices are starting at €7.20/kg, but there are a lot more heifers moving at €7.30/kg this week. Flat prices are also coming in as high as €7.70/kg being paid this week to secure in-spec Aberdeen Angus heifers.
Last week’s kill came in at just over 30,000 head, up about 500 head on the previous week. Compared with the same week in 2024, the kill was back just under 10,000 last week.
Excluding calves, this year’s cattle kill is just over 91,000 behind last year. Trade north of the border is holding steady, with 655p/kg (€7.91/kg including VAT) available for in-spec stock. Cows have also seen a lift in price, with as high as €7.00/kg paid for R-grading cows. P+3 cows are generally moving at €6.50/kg.
The cow kill is stable, at just under 6,000 cows being killed weekly at the moment. That figure was 8,600 cows per week for the same week last year. Some processors have started to talk about the Christmas trade, with buying expected to begin earlier this year.
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