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Prices on finished cattle appear to have steadied this week, but the overall trade remains extremely challenging, with sales of beef still slow.
Cattle supplies remain plentiful and delays in getting animals processed are lengthening for farmers who are not slaughtering animals on a regular basis.
Farmers booking cattle this week have reported a delay of around three weeks on steers, which pushes slaughter dates into April. Waiting time on prime heifers are at least two weeks.
However, despite the supply situation, processors have left base quotes unchanged this week, with plants quoting 328p to 332p/kg for U-3 grading animals.
Prices are running ahead of base quotes, with deals on offer similar to last week. This puts prime steers on 336p to 342p/kg, with heifers making up to 344p/kg.
Young bulls and cattle with lower conformation are a harder sell, with little room to negotiate above base prices.
The price pressure on the beef trade has filtered through to the live trade, with mart managers reporting easier prices on heavy fleshed cattle suited to a short finishing period or those animals which are slaughter fit.
Prices on top-quality U grading animals have eased by 20p to 30p/kg in the past fortnight, reducing the sale value on a 650kg steer by £130 to £195 per head.
Last week, the cattle kill was steady, with 8,944 processed. Prime cattle amounted to 7,228, with cows accounting for 1,587, up by 96 on the previous week.
The average price paid on steers and heifers was down 2p/kg to 333.68p/kg, with U3 steers down 2p to 341p.4/kg and U3 heifers down 1.8p to 346.1p/kg.
Cattle imported from the Republic for slaughter at NI plants was 67, with 56 animals moving in the opposite direction.
Cows
Quotes on cull cows are steady on 240p/kg for R3 grading animals, with O+3 cows on 230p/kg.
Deals are on offer for good-quality beef cows.
Hogget trade
The hogget trade has eased slightly this week, with plants paying in the region of 420p/kg, with official quotes on 415p/kg. At the 22kg weight limit, this makes a hogget worth £91.30, or £92.40 at the higher price.
In the marts, the number of hoggets on offer was similar to last week and prices were unchanged or down marginally.
Kilrea sold 270 hoggets from 398p to 442p/kg, no change on last week.
Massereene sold 903 hoggets from 370p to 420p/kg, down 15p/kg for heavier hoggets.
Saintfield sold 655 head from 380p to 415p/kg, little changed on last week.
In Rathfriland, Tuesday evening, 454 hoggets were on offer, making from 349p to 408p/kg, with an average of 376p/kg, down by 16p/kg on last week.
In Lisahally, £101 was paid for six butcher-type hoggets. However, the main run made from £90 to £95 for 25kg and 26kg.
Ewes
The fat ewe trade in the marts remains firm, with good top prices. The top in Newtownstewart was £85 and in Omagh, it was £105. Top price in Swatragh was £148 for 265 sold. The top price in Massereene was £103 for 160 sold. In Saintfield, top price was £95 and in Rathfriland, it was £93.
In Ballymena, the best Texel ewes with twin lambs at foot made £188 to £205 for outfits. Texel ewes coming up to lambing made £108 with Suffolks at £105. A big show of 75 pet lambs sold to £47 each.
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