The beef price is on the up for another week, rising by around 7p/kg in the last seven days with most abattoirs paying from £4/kg to £4.10/kg for R grade carcases under 400kg. Prices at some abattoirs have risen by 25p in three weeks.

The official Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) price for the week ending 20 March is £4.03/kg for an R4L steer, which is up 10p/kg.

Same-grade heifers were £4.05/kg, which is up 10p on the week. The young bull price is up 9p/kg to £3.88/kg.

Finished cows were reported by the AHDB at £2.81/kg for an 0-4, which is up 3p/kg on the week. Across marts in Scotland cull cows average £1.40/kg with 496 sold through marts.

United Auctions in Stirling sold 1,572 store cattle last week with steers at £2.49/kg, which was up 5p/kg on the week. Dairy steers averaged £2/kg, which is up 5p/kg on the week. Heifers sold for an average of £2.45/kg, which was up 7p/kg.

Dingwall Mart sold 678 store cattle. Steers averaged £2.56/kg and heifers sold for £2.52/kg, which was the highest trade of the season so far. Thainstone sold 1,242 store cattle, with steers averaging £2.59/kg, up 10p, and heifers £2.53/kg, up 6p/kg, which is also the highest average of the season so far.

Strong hogget trade

Scottish abattoirs are paying farmers £6.30 to £6.40/kg for R grading hoggets up to 21kg, which is similar to last week.

The Monday live sales dropped 7-10p/kg, with average prices of £2.73/kg at Ayr, £2.82/kg at Lanark and £2.84/kg at St Boswells. Tuesday’s sales had a range of prices from £2.55-£2.90/kg for hoggets.

Last Thursday’s sale at United Auctions saw over 5,100 hoggets selling for an average of £2.86/kg. Across Scotland the average for the week ending 20 March was £2.85/kg, down 2p/kg for medium weight hoggets.

The official AHDB price for across Britain for the same week was £6.42/kg for an R3L carcase, which is up 5p/kg.

The ewe price in Scotland is £89/head, which is up £4 on the week for over 6,000 sold.

Aberdeen and Northern Marts held a store sheep sale of over 700 store lambs, which averaged £86/head, down £22/head on the week. Pregnant breeding ewes were averaging £75/head, down £43/head. Ewes with lambs at foot were selling for an average of £75/life up £1/head.

Fodder sale

Thainstone sold 4ft bales for up to £12.50/bale down £1.80/bale. Outside bales were making up to £8/bale.

Inside hay didn’t change price, selling to £14.50/bale, and silage bales dropped 50p selling to £12.50/bale.

Carlisle’s fodder sale saw barley round bales selling for £39/bale up £7/bale and oat straw bales sold to £33/bale. Hayledge baes sold to £21/bale.