The beef trade remains reasonably steady, despite processors reducing base quotes by another 2p/kg this week. This brings the range of quotes for U-3 grade cattle to 348p to 350p/kg.

However, with many plants booking cattle up to two weeks in advance, the reduced prices do not apply on animals that are moving to slaughter this week.

Farmers offloading cattle earlier this week have secured deals of 356p to 360p/kg, with reports of 365p/kg at the upper end of the market.

Supplies of cattle coming on to the market are plentiful and factory agents are able to source numbers with greater ease for the week ahead.

Price deals are being made closer to base quotes, with farmers reporting deals of 352p to 354p/kg where numbers are limited.

Other farmers with bigger numbers of in-spec cattle to sell are reporting 358p to 360p/kg has been offered.

Processors are keen to keep a lid on prices, but as they are sourcing a large percentage of throughput from specialist finishers with price agreements, it is smaller producers who are mostly facing price cuts.

Imports of cull cows from Britain are running well ahead of last year.

Approximately 180 to 190 cows are being imported weekly for slaughter at NI plants, compared with 100 to 120 per week last year.

Higher import numbers are also underpinning throughput and keeping a lid on cow prices at 305p to 310p/kg on good-quality beef cows.

Base quotes for cows are 290p/kg for O+3 animals, with R3 cows on 300p/kg.

Last week, the prime cattle kill rose by 150 head to 7,093, with cull cows totalling 2,222, a drop of 250 on the previous week.

The average price paid for steers and heifers was steady on 351.64p/kg. The average price paid on U3 steers was 363.9p/kg, with 363.2p/kg paid on U3 heifers.

Hogget trade

Quotes for hoggets have increased by 5p/kg at one plant, putting the best quote on 410p/kg as processors try to keep pace with a buoyant mart trade. Prices were up by 18p/kg in Rathfriland on Tuesday evening. The best factory quote makes a hogget worth £90.20 at the 22kg carcase limit.

In the marts, Kilrea sold 360 hoggets from 366p to 378p/kg, up by 10p/kg for lighter hoggets on last week.

Massereene sold 726 hoggets making from 380p to 420p/kg, up by 5p to 22p/kg on last week.

In Saintfield, 644 hoggets sold from 370p to 436p/kg, up by 10p/kg for heavy hoggets and up substantially for lighter lots.

In Rathfriland, a smaller show of 435 hoggets sold from 366p to 410p/kg to average 390p/kg, up by 18p/kg.

The fat ewe trade continues firm, with good top prices. Top price in Omagh was £103 for 426 sold. Swatragh had a top price of £119 for a big sale of 400 ewes. In Kilrea, top price was £93 and in Massereene it was £104. In Saintfield, 51 ewes sold to £105/head. Rathfriland sold 136 ewes to £100/head.

Store lambs in Ballymena, Monday evening, saw the best Dorsets sell to £88, with crossbreds making £72.50 and Texels £70. The best crossbred in-lamb ewes made £147, with Texels to £146 and Suffolks to £125 each.