There is much more life in the beef trade at the start of the week. Supplies are much tighter, with freezing temperatures and snow making road conditions dangerous in many parts of the country.

While plants are trying hard to keep a lid on price, there is a growing number of sellers securing a base of €3.95/kg for steers and €4.05/kg for heifers. The lion’s share of cattle continue to trade on a base of €3.90/kg for steers and €4.00/kg for heifers, but factories are having to work much harder to secure large lots.

The greater bite in the trade has also been reflected in a livlier trade in marts for slaughter-fit cattle, with IFA chair Angus Woods describing the mart avenue as a good alternative option for producers struggling to negotiate for higher prices.

Cows

The cow trade remains vibrant. P+3 grading cows continue to range on average from €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg, while O grades have an even wider differential, ranging from €3.30/kg to €3.50/kg.

R grades range in the main from €3.50/kg to €3.60/kg, but up to €3.70/kg has been paid to specialist finishers or where cows have been traded in large numbers with a mixture of U grades.

Bulls

Bull prices are solid. R grades are selling from €3.85/kg to €3.90/kg, with more numbers now moving at the higher quote, while U grades are selling from €3.90/kg to €4.00/kg. Again, specialist producers are in the best negotiating position. O grading Friesian continue to trade anywhere from €3.65/kg to €3.80/kg, with conformation, numbers offered and the purchasing plant having a big influence on price. Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling from a base of €3.90/kg to €3.95/kg.

NI trade

The pressure on the northern trade at the middle of last week was not present this morning, as plants in some areas had to source additional supplies from areas unaffected by heavy snowfall. Base U-3 steer and heifer quotes remain mainly at a range of £3.52/kg to £3.56/kg, which at an exchange rate of 88.8p to the euro equates to €3.97/kg to €4.02/kg or €4.18/kg to €4.24/kg including VAT at 5.4%.

Regular sellers continue to command higher prices, with top prices rising to the low to mid £3.60s.

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Beef prices: demand for cows the standout feature