Prices paid by beef factories can differ by as much as €170/hd for the same animal, Irish Farmers Journal analysis shows.

The difference between the best and worst paying factories for each category of animal in 2018 ranged from €40/hd to €170/hd.

The analysis, covering all price reporting factories, revealed a range of 55c/kg between the top and bottom paying factories for the top grading U=3= cows. This would equate to a €168.85/hd gap per cow, based on 2018 average cow slaughter weight.

The range of prices for some young bulls was extreme. For U=3= young bulls, the difference between the best and worst prices was 34c/kg. For P+3= young bulls, the range was 39c/kg.

The grades in the Irish Farmers Journal analysis were U=3=, R=3=, O=3= and P+3= across steers, heifers, young bulls and cows.

The lowest variation between the factories was on the R=3= heifer grade, at 13c/kg.

Based on the 2018 average heifer weight of 310kg, it leaves a €40/hd difference between the top and bottom paying factory.

While the spread of prices paid to farmers by factories ranged between €40 and €170/hd, the most common range was €50 to €80 per animal last year.