This week’s Martbids analysis table tells its own story. Its very rare to see almost all categories of cattle up in price in one week, but the last seven days has seen that happen, with an almost clean sweep of green arrows in this week’s table.
A combination of factory buying, feedlot buying, farmer buying and good exporter activity has meant it was an exceptional week for the mart trade.
Over the last two months, factories did their best to talk down the trade, with many sighting a drop below €4.50/kg for the autumn beef trade.
This negativity had an impact on the July and August trade, with many feeders holding back on buying on the back of factory advice.
The plan was to wait until stores dropped back in line with a lower beef price and then fill the sheds - a resetting so to speak. This plan appears to have backfired.
A steadying up in the beef trade and increased beef quotes over the last two weeks has injected some confidence into the finishing sector.
Feeders are now left with very few cattle on hand and with sheds empty, they are back out in force to fill them.
A relatively good two weeks of weather has also boosted grass supplies on grazing farms, with very good activity for lighter cattle over the last seven days.
Finished cattle are in short supply on farms with a continuing shift to bigger players and this has driven factory agents back to marts to source finished cattle for next-day slaughter. They are also stocking up their own feedlots with forward stores.
Northern Ireland feeder buying has also ramped up over the last week, with a big increase in purchasing activity for export.
An increase in beef prices and a projected scarcity in finished cattle in the coming months has meant NI feeders have got the nod from factories to move south again.
Exporter and farmer buyers continue to fight it out around weanlings, with some very big sales reporting high clearance rates.
Top-end heifers in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket hit €2.95/kg, with heavier heifers in the 500kg to 600kg weight bracket coming in at €2.91/kg this week, some 4c/kg higher than last week.
Average-quality heifers over 600kg hit €2.61/kg this week.
In the bullock rings, it was a similar story. Heavy bullocks were a great trade, with the top-end bullock over 600kg hitting €2.85/kg this week.
If we took a 700kg bullock at €2.85/kg, that’s €1,995 gross. If this bullock was killed at a 56% kill-out, that’s a 392kg carcase, which translates into a beef price of €5.09/kg - higher than any price quoted to farmers in factories this week.
Lighter bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket were up 8c to 13c/kg last week, with top-quality bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight category hitting €2.99/kg this week.
Weanling bulls saw a huge lift in the last week, with some weight categories up over 30c/kg on last week’s trading.
Top-quality 300kg to 400kg bull calves came in at €3.67/kg this week, with top-quality weanling heifers in the same weight category coming in at the same price.
This week’s Martbids analysis table tells its own story. Its very rare to see almost all categories of cattle up in price in one week, but the last seven days has seen that happen, with an almost clean sweep of green arrows in this week’s table.
A combination of factory buying, feedlot buying, farmer buying and good exporter activity has meant it was an exceptional week for the mart trade.
Over the last two months, factories did their best to talk down the trade, with many sighting a drop below €4.50/kg for the autumn beef trade.
This negativity had an impact on the July and August trade, with many feeders holding back on buying on the back of factory advice.
The plan was to wait until stores dropped back in line with a lower beef price and then fill the sheds - a resetting so to speak. This plan appears to have backfired.
A steadying up in the beef trade and increased beef quotes over the last two weeks has injected some confidence into the finishing sector.
Feeders are now left with very few cattle on hand and with sheds empty, they are back out in force to fill them.
A relatively good two weeks of weather has also boosted grass supplies on grazing farms, with very good activity for lighter cattle over the last seven days.
Finished cattle are in short supply on farms with a continuing shift to bigger players and this has driven factory agents back to marts to source finished cattle for next-day slaughter. They are also stocking up their own feedlots with forward stores.
Northern Ireland feeder buying has also ramped up over the last week, with a big increase in purchasing activity for export.
An increase in beef prices and a projected scarcity in finished cattle in the coming months has meant NI feeders have got the nod from factories to move south again.
Exporter and farmer buyers continue to fight it out around weanlings, with some very big sales reporting high clearance rates.
Top-end heifers in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket hit €2.95/kg, with heavier heifers in the 500kg to 600kg weight bracket coming in at €2.91/kg this week, some 4c/kg higher than last week.
Average-quality heifers over 600kg hit €2.61/kg this week.
In the bullock rings, it was a similar story. Heavy bullocks were a great trade, with the top-end bullock over 600kg hitting €2.85/kg this week.
If we took a 700kg bullock at €2.85/kg, that’s €1,995 gross. If this bullock was killed at a 56% kill-out, that’s a 392kg carcase, which translates into a beef price of €5.09/kg - higher than any price quoted to farmers in factories this week.
Lighter bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight bracket were up 8c to 13c/kg last week, with top-quality bullocks in the 400kg to 500kg weight category hitting €2.99/kg this week.
Weanling bulls saw a huge lift in the last week, with some weight categories up over 30c/kg on last week’s trading.
Top-quality 300kg to 400kg bull calves came in at €3.67/kg this week, with top-quality weanling heifers in the same weight category coming in at the same price.
SHARING OPTIONS