The beef trade has cranked up another gear, with most factories increasing quotes by 5-10c/kg above last week. Top quotes are at €5.35/kg base price for heifers and a €5.30/kg base for bullocks. A lot more is going though with farmers, with numbers firmly in the driving seat when it comes to getting more money. Prime cattle supplies are falling hard, with the bullock kill back by over 3,000 head per week in the last four weeks. This is putting pressure on processors, who are scrambling to fill Christmas contracts over the next few weeks. A huge gap of over €1/kg remains between the British and Irish price.