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The beef trade starts January with plenty of positives for farmers. Base quotes have increased by 6p/kg to 440p/kg for U-3 grading animals, although this still falls short of the prices on offer.
With cattle difficult to source, the balance of power has firmly tipped in favour of farmers when it comes to negotiating on price.
Where farmers are not under herd movement restrictions, the option of selling finished animals through the live ring is further strengthening their bargaining hand.
This is particularly evident for farmers offloading Angus cattle, as bonus payments are applied on top of official base quotes.
Where factories left quotes languishing below 420p/kg in December, there was a considerable shift towards moving cattle through the live ring rather than direct for slaughter, forcing factories to raise quotes.
On conventional cattle, price deals start around 454p/kg. However, with factory agents scrambling for numbers, 458p/kg is widely available on steers and heifers.
Regular finishers are faring better and at the upper end of the market, there are reports of 462p and 464p/kg in return for bigger numbers.
Others report deals being made at 458p to 460p/kg with free haulage and no penalties being applied on out-of-spec animals.
Young bulls are making 450p/kg, rising to 454p/kg for regular finishers.
Last week, the average price paid across steers and heifers of all conformation was 445.29p/kg.
U3 steers averaged 458.9p/kg, while heifers at the same grade averaged 459.7p/kg.
Cows
The cow trade is on fire at the start of January. Quotes on R3 animals are stuck on 360p/kg and bear no resemblance to the level of processing demand at present.
Good-quality beef cows are opening on 380p/kg with 390p/kg widely available.
Prices on younger cows with good conformation range from 400p to 410p/kg.
NI sheep: Christmas backlog keeps prices steady
The first sales of 2023 had big shows of hoggets as marts reopen after the Christmas holidays.
Despite a backlog of sheep, prices have held firm. Plants have moved to lower quotes by 5p/kg at 535p/kg, making a hogget worth £117.70.
In Gortin, heavy hoggets from 28kg to 36kg made from £127 to £136. Hoggets at 25kg sold to £121.50, 24kg to £120.50, 23kg to £115, 22kg to £113, 21kg to £110 and 20.5kg to £100.
In Kilrea, hoggets sold from 484p to 567p/kg, up on its last sale in 2022. Hoggets at 21.5kg sold to £110, 22.5kg at £115 and 25kg at £123.
Saintfield sold 785 hoggets from 488p to 530p/kg, similar to the last sale in 2022.
Heavy hoggets at 28kg made £125, 27kg to £124, 25kg from £119 to £122, 22kg to £114 and 21kg at £109. Lighter types at 18kg made £93.
In Rathfriland, 607 hoggets sold from 480p to 550p/kg, up 12p/kg for heavier sorts compared with the last sale in December.
Ewes
Well-fleshed ewes are still a good trade and made £151 in Gortin, with a big run from £105 to £140.
In Kilrea, ewes topped £220, while in Rathfriland, ewes made £244.
In Saintfield, top was £238, with a big run from £127 to £180.
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