While some agents in the trade are reporting tighter supplies of cattle on hand in the last week, throughput remains high. Last week’s kill actually increased 302 head to 34,682.
It appears that the shortfall in supplies handled by some agents is being compensated for by higher numbers of shed-finished cattle coming direct off farm and also from specialist finishers.
This is also resulting in a wider differential in prices paid to producers, depending on their selling power.
There is still a percentage of steers and heifers trading at a base of €3.65/kg and €3.75/kg respectively.
Sellers with a bit more bargaining power or greater numbers on hand are securing a steer base of €3.70/kg and heifer base of €3.80/kg, while at the top end of the market, select specialist finishers and sellers handling large numbers are having more success negotiating €3.75/kg and €3.85/kg.
Demand is strong and using supplies from these larger finishers, albeit at a higher price, is allowing plants to build supplies for the Christmas market without having to take significant steps to attract higher supplies.
Cattle are also starting to come fit from sheds, reflected in the heifer kill hitting 9,483 – the highest since March and an increase of 2,193 head in the last two weeks.
Young bulls is the other category of stock that has witnessed recent increased throughput. At 3,407 head, they remain a low percentage of the weekly kill, with a high percentage coming from specialist finishers.
U grade bulls are trading from €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg, with R grades from €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg. Small numbers of O grading bulls are trading from €3.55/kg for plainer-quality lots to €3.65/kg for fleshed O+ grading lots traded in mixed lots with better-quality bulls.
Sellers with bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are having more success in securing a base of €3.70/kg, with small numbers trading 5c/kg higher. This excludes the 12c/kg QPS payment, where appropriate.
Cows are a steady trade, with a wide differential persisting between plants, as reflected in the DAFM official price table on right.
P+3 grading cows are moving from €2.85/kg to €3.05/kg, with O grades from €2.95/kg to €3.10/kg. Good-quality R grading cows are rising in cow-specialist plants to €3.25/kg to €3.30/kg, with U grades to €3.40/kg.
Northern trade
Last week’s NI prime cattle kill fell 334 to 6,434 head. Plants have increased base quotes by 2p/kg to 4p/kg, with most now on a U3- base quote of £3.40/kg to £3.44/kg. With sterling strengthening to 85p mid-week, this translates to €4.21/kg to €4.26/kg including VAT.
Most cattle traded in larger groups are moving at the higher end of the range, or 2p/kg higher, with specialist finishers securing up to £3.50/kg (€4.33/kg) for choice lots.
A higher cow kill, rising 138 head to 2,703, is compensating for lower throughput.
O grading Friesian cows are trading from £2.50/kg to £2.60/kg (€3.09/kg to €3.22/kg).
The number of cattle moving north for direct slaughter remains low, dropping 100 head to 45 cattle last week, compared with 500 head for the same week in 2015.
British prices are steady, if not slightly easier, with R4L steers and heifers trading on average from £3.62/kg to £3.67/kg (€4.47/kg to €4.52/kg).
The AHDB reports processors being cautious over Christmas retail demand.
Read more
Northern view: Christmas kill coming to an end
Two-tier market developing for beef
Download the Irish Farmers Journal news app today and get the latest prices for all grades and all factories through the built-in Livestock Tool.
While some agents in the trade are reporting tighter supplies of cattle on hand in the last week, throughput remains high. Last week’s kill actually increased 302 head to 34,682.
It appears that the shortfall in supplies handled by some agents is being compensated for by higher numbers of shed-finished cattle coming direct off farm and also from specialist finishers.
This is also resulting in a wider differential in prices paid to producers, depending on their selling power.
There is still a percentage of steers and heifers trading at a base of €3.65/kg and €3.75/kg respectively.
Sellers with a bit more bargaining power or greater numbers on hand are securing a steer base of €3.70/kg and heifer base of €3.80/kg, while at the top end of the market, select specialist finishers and sellers handling large numbers are having more success negotiating €3.75/kg and €3.85/kg.
Demand is strong and using supplies from these larger finishers, albeit at a higher price, is allowing plants to build supplies for the Christmas market without having to take significant steps to attract higher supplies.
Cattle are also starting to come fit from sheds, reflected in the heifer kill hitting 9,483 – the highest since March and an increase of 2,193 head in the last two weeks.
Young bulls is the other category of stock that has witnessed recent increased throughput. At 3,407 head, they remain a low percentage of the weekly kill, with a high percentage coming from specialist finishers.
U grade bulls are trading from €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg, with R grades from €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg. Small numbers of O grading bulls are trading from €3.55/kg for plainer-quality lots to €3.65/kg for fleshed O+ grading lots traded in mixed lots with better-quality bulls.
Sellers with bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are having more success in securing a base of €3.70/kg, with small numbers trading 5c/kg higher. This excludes the 12c/kg QPS payment, where appropriate.
Cows are a steady trade, with a wide differential persisting between plants, as reflected in the DAFM official price table on right.
P+3 grading cows are moving from €2.85/kg to €3.05/kg, with O grades from €2.95/kg to €3.10/kg. Good-quality R grading cows are rising in cow-specialist plants to €3.25/kg to €3.30/kg, with U grades to €3.40/kg.
Northern trade
Last week’s NI prime cattle kill fell 334 to 6,434 head. Plants have increased base quotes by 2p/kg to 4p/kg, with most now on a U3- base quote of £3.40/kg to £3.44/kg. With sterling strengthening to 85p mid-week, this translates to €4.21/kg to €4.26/kg including VAT.
Most cattle traded in larger groups are moving at the higher end of the range, or 2p/kg higher, with specialist finishers securing up to £3.50/kg (€4.33/kg) for choice lots.
A higher cow kill, rising 138 head to 2,703, is compensating for lower throughput.
O grading Friesian cows are trading from £2.50/kg to £2.60/kg (€3.09/kg to €3.22/kg).
The number of cattle moving north for direct slaughter remains low, dropping 100 head to 45 cattle last week, compared with 500 head for the same week in 2015.
British prices are steady, if not slightly easier, with R4L steers and heifers trading on average from £3.62/kg to £3.67/kg (€4.47/kg to €4.52/kg).
The AHDB reports processors being cautious over Christmas retail demand.
Read more
Northern view: Christmas kill coming to an end
Two-tier market developing for beef
Download the Irish Farmers Journal news app today and get the latest prices for all grades and all factories through the built-in Livestock Tool.
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