Sunshine has added a little stability to this week’s beef trade with prices relatively unchanged from last week in most sites on Monday morning.

Some factories appear to be adopting a wait and see approach leaving any decision on price changes until midweek.

Most factories are working off a base price of €7.20/kg for bullocks and €7.30/kg for heifers.

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Outside of the standard base quotes, there are finishers getting considerably higher quotes, with some of the larger finishers still working off base quotes of €7.50/kg and higher in some cases.

On the other hand, there are factories trying to quote €7.10/kg base price for bullocks and €7.20/kg for heifers, but are meeting some resistance this week at the lower quotes.

A drier week and improving ground conditions have meant there is less pressure to sell cattle. Others who have housed forward-finishing cattle are opting to sit tight for a few weeks to see if the price will improve.

Cows

The cow trade has also steadied this week, with prices relatively unchanged from last week.

R grading cows are generally trading at €7.00/kg to €7.10/kg, while O grading cows are coming in around €6.80/kg to €6.90/kg, depending on weight and flesh cover.

P grading cows are back to €6.40/kg in some locations, but €6.50/kg is still available, especially where numbers are involved.

Manufacturing beef is still moving well in markets, with some of the more expensive cuts a little harder to shift in recent weeks.

Bulls

Up to €7.40/kg is still available at the top end for U grading bulls where numbers are involved, working back to €7.20/kg to €7.30/kg for O grades. Under-16-month-old bulls are working off a base price of €7.10/kg, with a little more going to those with numbers.

Data recently released from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) shows that UK beef production fell by 4% in August compared with the previous month, with the August cow kill down 10% (4,600 head) on August 2024.

Beef production for the first eight months of the year totals 582,000 tonnes, a decrease of 5% (29,000 tonnes) versus the same period in 2024.