Quotes for clean cattle have lifted again this week to a best of 620p/kg for U-3 grading steers and heifers, up 20p/kg on the top starting quote issued last week.

Reports from farmers suggest actual prices paid are up by around 10p/kg, with 630p/kg freely available.

Regular suppliers are securing prices around the 634p/kg mark, with slightly more available to larger finishers.

At those prices, a 400kg steer is now worth over £2,500 at slaughter.

The extent of the deals available is reflected in last week’s prices paid, with U3 steers up 8.8p to average 626.8p/kg and U3 heifers up 9p to average 627.2p/kg.

Across all steers and heifers, prices increased 8.8p/kg to an average of 615.3p/kg.

However, those prices remain well behind what is on offer in Britain, where prices paid for steers and heifers jumped by 12p to 15p/kg last week, leaving U-3 grading heifers in Britain at an average of over 670p/kg.

That price differential continues to attract some NI cattle for direct slaughter in Britain, with another 80 exported last week.

However, with ROI prices around 60p/kg behind what is being paid in NI, 516 head came north for slaughter, the second highest weekly total this year.

With robust demand in recent weeks for beef, it has resulted in reasonably strong cattle kills in NI.

In five of the last six weeks, the total cattle kill has been over 10,000 head.

Last week’s total of 10,675 was up by over 200 head on the previous week and was the highest weekly kill since the end of January.

Cows

The strong mart trade in fat cows has quotes at the plants moving up to a best of 490p for an O+ cow and to 500p for an R grade.

However, significantly more is available for young, well-finished suckler cows.

Last week, the price paid for R4 grading cows jumped by 17.9p/kg to average 537.1p/kg.

R3 grades averaged 531.1p/kg, with P3 cows at 477.3p/kg and P2 cows at 460.8p/kg.

That leaves a 350kg P2 grading cow worth over £1,600 at slaughter.

NI sheep: lower quotes for hoggets

Quotes for hoggets in the plants are lower this week, with a best of 690p/kg on offer, making a hogget worth £158.70 at the 23kg limit. In the marts, the trade is easier.

In Gortin, the heaviest hoggets sold from £156 to £188. Middleweights made from £142.50 to £155. Best of the lighter lots saw 21.5kg making 648p at £139.50.

In Kilrea, 1,050 hoggets sold from 639p to 695p. Light hoggets at 16kg made £120, 750p/kg with 19kg at £130, 684p/kg.

In Markethill, an easier trade saw 750 head selling from 610p to 657p/kg. The 657p was for 20.7kg at £136, with 21kg at £136, 648p/kg.

Heavy hoggets made to 601p for 24.8kg at £149. Overweights made from £150 to £159/head.

There was an easier trade in Saintfield, with 470 hoggets selling from 580p to 675p/kg. Heavies at 32kg made to £164/head, with 24kg making £154.

In Ballymena, hoggets at 24kg made £148, with 21.5kg at £137.50 and 21kg at £138.

Fat ewes

Fat ewes continue to sell well. In Gortin, the trade saw the best ewes at £290/head, while others made from £186 to £260.

And in Kilrea, ewes sold to £260, while in Saintfield, the top was £255, with a run from £163 to £220/head.