The beef trade is unchanged over the last week. Throughput is strong, with last week’s kill recorded at 32,764 head, just 2,602 lower than the previous week despite a day’s less processing.
Agents report supplies holding steady this week and while there are signs of supplies tightening, predictions are for numbers to hold steady for another week to 10 days, with some farmers targeting an annual sale date of early April. The tightening in supplies is evident in cattle being booked in for slaughter being accepted much quicker.
This is leaving prices unchanged, with steers trading on a mixed base of €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg. There are reports of some sellers with greater negotiating power securing 2c/kg to 5c/kg higher or deals on transport, but it should be noted that the frequency at which this is occurring is low.
Likewise, heifers are trading from a base of €4.05/kg to €4.10/kg, with top prices to €4.12/kg to €4.15/kg. Throughput has been boosted by a number of plants utilising contracted or feedlot cattle, with ABP especially active in sourcing replacement cattle for their feedlots and contracted suppliers.
There is also no real change in the young bull and cow trade, apart from Friesian bulls meeting a firmer trade.
Prices for fleshed O= and O+ grading bulls traded in significant numbers have been reported from €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg for large sale lots. This compares favourably to continental bulls, with U grades topping at €4.10/kg.
Smaller numbers are trading back to €4.05/kg, while R grading bulls are trading in the main from €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg, but as high as €4.10/kg has been paid where bulls have been traded as a smaller component of a sale group comprising mainly U grading bulls. Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling on a base of €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg. Agents are active in direct farm sales and also in marts for all types of cows.
P+3 grading cows continue to trade on average from €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg, but up to 10c/kg higher has been paid for cows traded in sale lots of 15 to 20 cows upwards.
O grading cows are trading anywhere from €3.40/kg to €3.55/kg, with R grades from €3.55/kg to €3.65/kg.
Cow-specialist plants remain in pole position for heavy R and U grading cows, with prices rising to €3.70/kg to €3.80/kg.
The trade is running 20c/kg to 30c/kg ahead of 2017 levels. This is in contrast to the trade for steers, heifers and young bulls, which is on a par to 2017 levels.
Upward movement
The northern trade continues to edge upwards, with prices rising by a further 1p/kg to 2p/kg over the last week.
Base U-3 quotes for steers and heifers are rising to £3.58/kg for smaller numbers, which is the equivalent of €4.09/kg at 87.5p to the euro and €4.31/kg VAT inclusive at 5.4%.
Regular sellers are having more success in securing a base of £3.60/kg to £3.64/kg (€4.33/kg to €4.38/kg including VAT), with the highest prices paid rising towards £3.70/kg (€4.45/kg incl VAT).
Cow prices are steady, with O grading cows selling from £2.70/kg to £2.90/kg (€3.25/kg to €3.49/kg incl VAT), while R and U grading suckler cows are selling to £3.10/kg (€3.73/kg).
British trade
The British trade recorded another slight increase of 1p/kg, with R4L steer and heifer prices now hitting an average of £3.70/kg (€4.45/kg incl VAT).
AHDB records show R3 grading young bulls averaging £3.54/kg (€4.26/kg), while O+ grading cows range from £2.90/kg to £3.00/kg (€3.49/kg to €3.61/kg).
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Deals on offer as beef cattle in demand
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The beef trade is unchanged over the last week. Throughput is strong, with last week’s kill recorded at 32,764 head, just 2,602 lower than the previous week despite a day’s less processing.
Agents report supplies holding steady this week and while there are signs of supplies tightening, predictions are for numbers to hold steady for another week to 10 days, with some farmers targeting an annual sale date of early April. The tightening in supplies is evident in cattle being booked in for slaughter being accepted much quicker.
This is leaving prices unchanged, with steers trading on a mixed base of €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg. There are reports of some sellers with greater negotiating power securing 2c/kg to 5c/kg higher or deals on transport, but it should be noted that the frequency at which this is occurring is low.
Likewise, heifers are trading from a base of €4.05/kg to €4.10/kg, with top prices to €4.12/kg to €4.15/kg. Throughput has been boosted by a number of plants utilising contracted or feedlot cattle, with ABP especially active in sourcing replacement cattle for their feedlots and contracted suppliers.
There is also no real change in the young bull and cow trade, apart from Friesian bulls meeting a firmer trade.
Prices for fleshed O= and O+ grading bulls traded in significant numbers have been reported from €3.80/kg to €3.90/kg for large sale lots. This compares favourably to continental bulls, with U grades topping at €4.10/kg.
Smaller numbers are trading back to €4.05/kg, while R grading bulls are trading in the main from €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg, but as high as €4.10/kg has been paid where bulls have been traded as a smaller component of a sale group comprising mainly U grading bulls. Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling on a base of €3.95/kg to €4.00/kg. Agents are active in direct farm sales and also in marts for all types of cows.
P+3 grading cows continue to trade on average from €3.25/kg to €3.35/kg, but up to 10c/kg higher has been paid for cows traded in sale lots of 15 to 20 cows upwards.
O grading cows are trading anywhere from €3.40/kg to €3.55/kg, with R grades from €3.55/kg to €3.65/kg.
Cow-specialist plants remain in pole position for heavy R and U grading cows, with prices rising to €3.70/kg to €3.80/kg.
The trade is running 20c/kg to 30c/kg ahead of 2017 levels. This is in contrast to the trade for steers, heifers and young bulls, which is on a par to 2017 levels.
Upward movement
The northern trade continues to edge upwards, with prices rising by a further 1p/kg to 2p/kg over the last week.
Base U-3 quotes for steers and heifers are rising to £3.58/kg for smaller numbers, which is the equivalent of €4.09/kg at 87.5p to the euro and €4.31/kg VAT inclusive at 5.4%.
Regular sellers are having more success in securing a base of £3.60/kg to £3.64/kg (€4.33/kg to €4.38/kg including VAT), with the highest prices paid rising towards £3.70/kg (€4.45/kg incl VAT).
Cow prices are steady, with O grading cows selling from £2.70/kg to £2.90/kg (€3.25/kg to €3.49/kg incl VAT), while R and U grading suckler cows are selling to £3.10/kg (€3.73/kg).
British trade
The British trade recorded another slight increase of 1p/kg, with R4L steer and heifer prices now hitting an average of £3.70/kg (€4.45/kg incl VAT).
AHDB records show R3 grading young bulls averaging £3.54/kg (€4.26/kg), while O+ grading cows range from £2.90/kg to £3.00/kg (€3.49/kg to €3.61/kg).
Read more
Deals on offer as beef cattle in demand
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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