Northern view: meat plants competing for prime cattle

Demand for prime cattle is rising and processors have become much more competitive on pricing this week.

Supplies of in-spec steers and heifers are extremely limited. As such, farmers with good numbers to sell are securing prices well ahead of factory quotes, which remain on 350p to 356p/kg for U3 grading animals.

One plant increased its base by as much as 4p/kg for heifers, bringing it more in line with the price deals on offer.

Finishers report that plants are working from a starting price of 356p/kg, but that 358p/kg to 360p/kg is widely available for steers and heifers.

More regular sellers are securing deals of 362p to 364p/kg on steers, while there have been reports of up to 370p/kg being paid at the upper end of the market to farmers with bigger supplies of prime heifers to offload.

Prices for young bulls are less competitive, with reports of 356p to 360p/kg on offer for animals meeting market specifications on carcase weight and age of slaughter.

Last week, the average price paid on steers and heifers increased by 3p/kg to 352.9p/kg. The average price paid on U3 steers jumped by 4.5p/kg to 359p/kg, while U3 heifers prices were also higher at 362.9p/kg.

In Britain, the beef trade continues to harden, with prices in England ranging from 375p to 378p/kg, while, in Scotland, beef prices are 384p to 388p/kg for U grading animals.

As a price gap opens for cattle on both sides of the Irish border, there have been more animals moving north for slaughter, with 223 head imported last week.

Cows

As with prime cattle, there is more life in the cow trade, with plants increasing quotes by 2p to 5p/kg. This brings R3 grading animals to 285p/kg, with O+3 grading cows rising to 275p/kg.

However, deals of 10p to 20p/kg above base price are on offer.

Lamb trade

The lamb trade has improved this week, with plants putting 5p/kg on to quotes, bringing them to 395p/kg. This makes a lamb worth almost £83 at the 21kg limit.

In the marts, although there were more lambs forward, prices were higher in most cases. In Rathfriland, Tuesday evening, the average was up by 4p/kg.

In Kilrea, they sold 400 lambs from 352p to 370p/kg, up by 12p/kg on last week.

Massereene sold 1,206 lambs making from 345p to 379p/kg, up by 5p to 15p/kg.

In Saintfield, 602 lambs made from 340p to 370p/kg, unchanged from last week. Texel lambs at 25kg made £85, with 23.5kg at £83 and £80. Greyfaced lambs at 21.4kg made £71/head.

At Rathfriland, they had 885 on offer, selling from 333p to 384p/kg. They averaged 361p/kg, up by 4p/kg on last week.

Ewes

The fat ewe trade is duller this week, with top prices back by £10 to £15/head on last week. The top price in Newtownstewart was £87.

Omagh sold 197 head to a top of £78. Swatragh sold 400 head to a top of £98. Top in Massereene was £92 for 268 sold. Saintfield had a sale of 155 ewes selling to a top of £80, with other pens at £75/head. In Rathfriland, they sold 224 head to £90.

In Ballymena, store lambs were a great trade. The best Texels made £74 and £70, with Suffolks making £70.50. Crossbreds sold to £68. Cheviot-cross hoggets for breeding sold to £245 and £230/head.