2018 has been an exceptionally difficult year for farmers and to complete the perfect storm, it has turned into a poor market, especially for beef.

Demand is nowhere near as strong as it was last year and with big numbers of cattle coming forward, it has meant stocks have built in the factories, which in turn takes the edge off them when they are bidding for cattle. When there is a waiting list to get cattle into the factory, the farmer isn’t in the best bargaining position.

The spell of cold weather that normally kicks off a strong demand for beef hasn’t happened this year yet across Europe and when we look at imports from outside the EU increasing and exports falling, then pressure on the trade is inevitable.

Hides are also a problem, with values having fallen to €10 for cow hides and €30 for steer and heifer hides. The big loser in meat value is in the manufacturing beef product, which is used in mince and burgers, which is back 50c/kg.