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For the second week in a row, there have been positive signals emerging from the beef trade that prices are slowly hardening.
Supplies of prime cattle coming on to the market are gradually tightening and factory agents are becoming more active in securing numbers.
Several factories have reacted to tighter numbers, raising base quotes by 2p/kg.
This puts the range of quotes on offer at 328p to 334p/kg for U-3 grading animals.
However, factory quotes are running 6p to 12p/kg behind the prices on offer this week.
Farmers with cattle to sell should be bargaining hard, as cattle agents are showing greater flexibility on price.
In addition, there is more life in the mart trade, especially for heavy fleshed heifers.
Top-quality animals are making 200p/kg to 215p/kg and specialist finishers are more competitive for short-keep animals.
Deals of 336p to 340p/kg are being reported on finished steers and farmers, with a steady supply of cattle coming on to the market are faring best.
Farmers report that deals on prime heifers are opening on 338p to 340p/kg. Where bigger numbers are being offloaded, deals of up to 344p/kg have been reported with more on offer for larger finishers.
While good-quality beef cattle are an improving trade, farmers with plainer cattle falling outside of market spec have little scope to negotiate on price and are still experiencing delays in getting these animals processed.
Last week, the average price paid on steers and heifers increased by 1.5p to 331.85p/kg. The average price paid on U3 steers was down 1p to 338.2p/kg, with U3 grading heifers averaging 343.5p/kg.
Imports of slaughter cattle from Ireland totalled 259, with 100 animals moving in the opposite direction.
Cows
Base quotes on cull cows are holding steady, with R grading animals on 250p/kg and O+3 cows on 240p/kg. However, deals of 260p to 270p/kg are on offer for good-quality animals.
Hogget trade
The hogget trade has moved up a gear this week and quotes have increased 10p/kg to 460p/kg, making a hogget worth £101.20 at the 22kg carcase limit. Spring lambs are also up 10p/kg to 510p/kg. With the buoyant mart trade, higher deals are available for both hoggets and springs.
On Monday, Kilrea sold 540 hoggets from 443p to 488p/kg, up by 26p/kg.
Massereene sold 812 hoggets from 430p to 494p/kg, up by 20p to 50p/kg. Heavy hoggets from 24kg to 31kg made from £108 to £117. Hoggets weighing 22.5kg to 24kg made £99 to £108.50. Spring lambs from 21kg to 24kg made £110 to £115.
Saintfield sold 625 head from 428p to 503p/kg, up 23p to 53p/kg. Rathfriland had a flying trade for 348 hoggets making 385p to 446p/kg, with a sale average of 419p/kg, up by 19p/kg.
Rathfriland sold 142 new-season lambs from 445p to 482p/kg for 21kg and 22kg, with an average of 470p/kg.
Ewes
The fat ewe trade is firm, with solid top prices. The top price in Omagh was £109 and in Swatragh, it was £156. Top price in Massereene was £105 for Texels, £95 for Suffolks, £81 for mules and £61 for Blackface. Top price in Kilrea was £108. In Saintfield, ewes made £105 and in Rathfriland, ewes made £118.
In Ballymena, the best crossbred ewes with twin lambs at foot made £245 for the outfit, with Suffolks to £230 and Charollais to £225. Pet lambs made up to £47 each and store hoggets made £86.50.
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