A price gap of 40c/kg (€150/hd) in the beef price between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has seen a surge of cattle moving north of the border.Some 2,647 cattle were exported for direct slaughter in Northern Ireland in the first three weeks of June, the highest in a decade, compared to just 274 in the same period of 2019.
A price gap of 40c/kg (€150/hd) in the beef price between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has seen a surge of cattle moving north of the border.
Some 2,647 cattle were exported for direct slaughter in Northern Ireland in the first three weeks of June, the highest in a decade, compared to just 274 in the same period of 2019.
Northern factories paid as high as €4.22/kg this week, compared to quotes of €3.55/kg to €3.60/kg excluding bonuses in the south.
Tight supplies of slaughter-fit cattle in the north has meant processors have given the green light to their largest suppliers to move south to buy cattle. More than one-third of cattle sold in Elphin Mart on Monday night were snapped up by northern customers. Department of Agriculture data shows a fall of 103,000hd in cattle in the 12-24-month age category on 1 April, pointing to tighter supplies of finished cattle for the second half of 2020.
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