Increasing factory throughput remains a feature of the beef trade, with last week’s kill rising 590 head to 36,001.

Factory demand remains firm, with most cattle trading this week on a base of €3.70/kg to €3.75/kg for steers and €3.80/kg to €3.85/kg for heifers. However, there is more resistance to price as the week progresses, with factories blaming sterling weakening to 90p to the euro for more difficult trading conditions.

Angus Woods of the IFA said: “The fine week has taken pressure off farmers and some factories are actively looking for cattle, with numbers of suitable stock tightening at a time when factories have begun laying beef for the Christmas trade.”

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Beef trends: kill remains high as prices static