The general mood in the beef trade, seems to be following the sentiment around the weather – with factory agents more positive about quotes and the general outlook for the trade in the next few weeks.

Agents continue to be very active looking for cattle, with some offering more leeway on quotes than had been available up until last week. There is a general thought within the industry that better weather has lifted beef sales, with steak cuts moving particularly better in recent days.

Bullocks are working off a base quote of €6.60/kg with €6.70-€6.75/kg available in some locations this week for bigger loads. Heifers are also in good demand with €6.80/kg on the table as a base price for heifers. There is also 5-10 cent/kg more available for heifers where regular suppliers are selling cattle. While some agents have been slow to lift quotes, other sweeteners have been thrown into some deals including free haulage.

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Breed bonuses are also a little easier to come by, with in spec Aberdeen Angus bullocks and heifers attracting a 20 cent/g premium, with in-spec Hereford cattle working off a 10 cent/kg bonus in most locations.

Cows

R grading cows are being priced at €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg. U grading cows are generally now being bought at €6.70/kg, with higher prices going to the regular cow sellers and specialist feeders.

O grading cows are being bought for €6.30/kg to €6.40/kg. P+3 cows are coming in at €6.20/kg to €6.40/kg, with some factories quoting lower for very light cows.

Bulls

R grading bulls are coming in at €6.80/kg to €6.90/kg and U grading bulls are being quoted at €7.00/kg, although bulls are in short supply, with low numbers being killed.

There are a number of operators still able to squeeze €7/kg for mixtures of R and U grading bulls. Some of the larger bull finishers have been able to get €7.10/kg this week.

O grading bulls are working off an all-in price of €6.50/kg to €6.70/kg, while P grading bulls are being quoted at €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg, depending on weight and flesh cover.

Over-age bulls are generally working off prices of €6.80/kg to €6.90/kg, depending on grades and flesh cover.

Under-16-month bulls are working off a €6.70/kg to €6.80/kg base price on the grid.