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Last week’s factory kill rose to 36,112 head but this high throughput had no effect on prices. In fact good weather, followed by the Ploughing, meant that factory agents have had to work that bit harder to get numbers.
Quotes are unchanged at €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg for steers and 10c/kg more for heifers, but more farmers have sold at bases of €3.80/kg and €3.90. Factory throughput is now 80,000 head higher than last year. Sterling is now at 89p to €1, down from the recent 92p, and lifting returns from the UK market.
IFA livestock chair Angus Woods said each 1p move is worth 3c/kg on Irish cattle price because of the volumes going into the very strong UK market.
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