This is a subscriber-only article
Industrial action by public sector employees on Wednesday 26 April resulted in several abattoirs closing as meat inspectors withdrew services.
While Wednesday’s strike was limited to a single-day walkout, there is a strong possibility trade union members will take further industrial action in the coming weeks.
ABP and Foyle temporarily closed processing facilities on Wednesday. Linden and Dunbia remained open, but throughput was reduced. Processors in the pig and poultry sectors were seemingly unaffected by the dispute.
With some abattoirs working on a four-day kill, procurement agents have been able to accommodate farmers, and there is no backlog developing.
The beef trade is steady this week, with official quotes holding at 482p/kg for U-3 grading animals. However, prime steers and heifers are generally priced around 500p/kg, with cull cows making 420p/kg for good-quality suckler types.
Sheep price pressure
With Ramadan over, processors have cut hogget quotes by 40p/kg to a base around 600p/kg. Deals of 640p/kg were agreed early this week, with 615p/kg to 620p/kg available on Wednesday. Some deals have been done to a 23kg carcase weight limit.
Spring lambs quotes are down 20p/kg, with factories on 635p to 650p/kg.
SHARING OPTIONS: