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There is much more life in the beef trade this week, with cattle agents scrambling to secure numbers as supplies begin to tighten again.
Such is the limited availability of finished cattle, farmers are being repeatedly contacted by factory agents, often from different plants, eager to bid on animals for next week.
With farmers in a strong position to negotiate for higher prices, those who price around are being rewarded as factory agents are fearful of losing out to competitors.
Processors are trying to play down the trade and have left official base quotes unchanged in the mid 350p/kg range.
Such is the limited availability of finished cattle, farmers are being repeatedly contacted by factory agents
However, base quotes are anywhere from 20p to 25p/kg below the prices on offer. Farmers indicate that young bulls are moving off farm from 368p to 376p/kg for animals meeting carcase weight limits.
Prices for prime cattle have moved on by 4p to 6p/kg, with farmers reporting 380p/kg becoming more widely available midweek. Higher prices are on offer for larger finishers with supply agreements in place.
South of the border, beef prices at Irish plants are also rising on the back of tighter supplies, with a similar trend materialising in the live ring.
As such, fewer Irish cattle are being imported for processing at northern plants, thereby intensifying competition for local supplies.
Fewer Irish cattle are being imported for processing at northern plants, thereby intensifying competition for local supplies
Farmers report wholesalers are extremely competitive on butcher-type heifers and young cows with R and U grade conformation.
Last week, the average prices paid across all types of cattle recorded significant increases. Steers rose by 3.7p to 373.5p/kg for U3 animals with heifers at the same grade increasing by 6p to 377p/kg.
The trade for cull cows is also improving despite no movement from a base of 280p/kg for R3 grading animals.
Deals
However, deals of 320p/kg and above are available on good-quality suckler-bred animals.
Last week, the average price paid on R3 grading cows rose by 5.3p to 309.6p/kg with O3 grading cows on 291.8p/kg.
Lamb trade
Quotes at processing plants this week are on 460p to 470p/kg, the former being a cut of 10p/kg. This indicates the market is softening as the demand for lamb for Eid al-Adha comes to an end. At 470p/kg, a lamb is worth £98.70 at the 21kg carcase limit. With bigger numbers on offer, processors have pushed some suppliers back a week and prices may well have peaked.
The market is softening as the demand for lamb for Eid al-Adha comes to an end
In the marts, there were big shows of lambs and prices paid have eased. Kilrea sold 700 lambs from 410p to 459p/kg.
Massereene had a big show of 1,208 lambs making 425p to 456p/kg, down by 10p/kg on last week. Heavy lambs at 25kg and 26kg made £103 to £107. Lambs at 23kg made £100. Lighter lambs from 20kg to 22kg made from £86 to £93/head.
In Saintfield, 804 lambs sold from 405p to 450p/kg, down 20p/kg on last week. Top price was £101 for 25kg with £100 for 26kg and a big run from £92 to £97.
Rathfriland had a big show of 850 lambs selling from 400p to 450p/kg, with a sale average of 425p/kg, down by 4p/kg on last week.
Ewes
The trade in well-fleshed ewes is strong with great top prices. Swatragh sold ewes to £140 with Kilrea to £129. In Massereene, ewes made £121 for Texels, £110 for Charollais with Suffolks to £102, mules to £92 and Blackface to £61.
In Saintfield, the top was £128 with others making from £80 to £98/head. Rathfriland sold ewes to £111.
Northern Ireland
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