Last week’s kill reducing 4,369 to 33,064 head is putting huge pressure on factories’ stance in resisting upward price pressure.
Steer and heifer base prices have narrowed to a tight range in recent weeks, with the majority of steers trading at a base of €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg, with heifers at a similarly narrow base price range of €3.85/kg to €3.90/kg.
Reports suggest more sellers have secured the higher price in recent days, with demand stepped up another notch and agents becoming much more active outside of their normal catchment area.
Factories’ resolve in not exceeding the €3.80/kg base for steers and €3.90/kg base for heifers is likely to be tested to the limit in the coming days, with more feeders handling larger numbers sensing the balance of power in negotiations is swinging back to their side.
The tightness in steers is being felt in many areas, with last week’s kill falling 2,390 to a throughput of 13,503 head. This is 4,044 head lower than the steer kill four weeks ago.
Bulls under 16 months and trading on the grid are being offered a base of €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg
Heifer throughput has fallen to a lesser extent of 588 head, to 8,215, with heifers housed early and finished indoors and an increase in heifers coming on stream to take advantage of higher seasonal breed bonuses helping throughput.
Cow throughput fell 1,025 head to 7,726 and this is evident in the lift in activity in direct farm sales and factory buyer activity at the ringside.
Some factories are willing to reward bigger suppliers with 5c/kg to 10c/kg extra to secure sales.
This is underpinning the differential that exists between prices paid within plants for similar-quality cows, with the differential also widening slightly between plants.
P+3 grading cows are selling in the main from €3.00/kg to €3.15/kg, but there are prices reported above and below this range.
O grading cows are selling on average from €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg, but there has been some prices reported as high as €3.40/kg for large lots.
Likewise, R grading cows are trading anywhere from €3.35/kg to €3.55/kg to €3.60/kg at the top of the market, with U grades in general from €3.55/kg to €3.70/kg for heavy top-quality types in cow specialist plants.
Bulls holding their ground
Bull prices are steady, with a wide differential again between prices paid to sellers. R grades are trading from €3.85/kg to €3.90/kg, with U grades from €3.90/kg to €4.00/kg.
O grading Friesian bulls are selling anywhere from €3.60/kg to €3.70/kg, with deals available where traded with R and U grades.
Bulls under 16 months and trading on the grid are being offered a base of €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg.
British prices steadying
The AHDB reports a steadying in British prices on the back of supplies starting to tighten and seasonal demand also rising.
It reports the latest prime cattle slaughterings reducing 1% to 31,700, with prices steadying at an R4L average price of £3.76/kg for steers and £3.73/kg for heifers. This equates to €4.48/kg and €4.45/kg at 88.4p to the euro and including VAT at 5.4%.
The cow trade in contrast remains under pressure, with supplies increasing 4% to 11,600 and leading to prices for O4L grading cows falling about 2p/kg to £2.60/kg (€3.10/kg incl VAT).
The northern trade is steady, with supplies finely balanced with demand. Most plants continue to quote a U-3 base quote of £3.52/kg to £3.54/kg (€4.20/kg to €4.23/kg incl VAT), with sellers with greater selling power continuing to secure 2p/kg to 6p/kg extra from the market.
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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Last week’s kill reducing 4,369 to 33,064 head is putting huge pressure on factories’ stance in resisting upward price pressure.
Steer and heifer base prices have narrowed to a tight range in recent weeks, with the majority of steers trading at a base of €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg, with heifers at a similarly narrow base price range of €3.85/kg to €3.90/kg.
Reports suggest more sellers have secured the higher price in recent days, with demand stepped up another notch and agents becoming much more active outside of their normal catchment area.
Factories’ resolve in not exceeding the €3.80/kg base for steers and €3.90/kg base for heifers is likely to be tested to the limit in the coming days, with more feeders handling larger numbers sensing the balance of power in negotiations is swinging back to their side.
The tightness in steers is being felt in many areas, with last week’s kill falling 2,390 to a throughput of 13,503 head. This is 4,044 head lower than the steer kill four weeks ago.
Bulls under 16 months and trading on the grid are being offered a base of €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg
Heifer throughput has fallen to a lesser extent of 588 head, to 8,215, with heifers housed early and finished indoors and an increase in heifers coming on stream to take advantage of higher seasonal breed bonuses helping throughput.
Cow throughput fell 1,025 head to 7,726 and this is evident in the lift in activity in direct farm sales and factory buyer activity at the ringside.
Some factories are willing to reward bigger suppliers with 5c/kg to 10c/kg extra to secure sales.
This is underpinning the differential that exists between prices paid within plants for similar-quality cows, with the differential also widening slightly between plants.
P+3 grading cows are selling in the main from €3.00/kg to €3.15/kg, but there are prices reported above and below this range.
O grading cows are selling on average from €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg, but there has been some prices reported as high as €3.40/kg for large lots.
Likewise, R grading cows are trading anywhere from €3.35/kg to €3.55/kg to €3.60/kg at the top of the market, with U grades in general from €3.55/kg to €3.70/kg for heavy top-quality types in cow specialist plants.
Bulls holding their ground
Bull prices are steady, with a wide differential again between prices paid to sellers. R grades are trading from €3.85/kg to €3.90/kg, with U grades from €3.90/kg to €4.00/kg.
O grading Friesian bulls are selling anywhere from €3.60/kg to €3.70/kg, with deals available where traded with R and U grades.
Bulls under 16 months and trading on the grid are being offered a base of €3.75/kg to €3.80/kg.
British prices steadying
The AHDB reports a steadying in British prices on the back of supplies starting to tighten and seasonal demand also rising.
It reports the latest prime cattle slaughterings reducing 1% to 31,700, with prices steadying at an R4L average price of £3.76/kg for steers and £3.73/kg for heifers. This equates to €4.48/kg and €4.45/kg at 88.4p to the euro and including VAT at 5.4%.
The cow trade in contrast remains under pressure, with supplies increasing 4% to 11,600 and leading to prices for O4L grading cows falling about 2p/kg to £2.60/kg (€3.10/kg incl VAT).
The northern trade is steady, with supplies finely balanced with demand. Most plants continue to quote a U-3 base quote of £3.52/kg to £3.54/kg (€4.20/kg to €4.23/kg incl VAT), with sellers with greater selling power continuing to secure 2p/kg to 6p/kg extra from the market.
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.
Read more
Angus and Hereford births increase over 60,000
Quality of beef cattle plummets
Greater focus coming on animal welfare
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