Factories are “up the walls” looking for cattle was how one agent put it to me on Monday when I was speaking to him about the beef trade.

Record retail sales of beef have cleared out the fridges and any worry about a post-Christmas glut of product has been long forgotten.

Factories are even putting in pace contingency plans to kill three days in Christmas week, with almost all planning a minimum of three days processing from 27 to 29 December such is the demand for beef.

The increased demand couldn’t have come at a worse time for processors, as their procurement managers struggle to source weekly supplies of prime cattle.

This has meant they have been forced to increase quotes this week to get their hands on cattle.

Gloves off

The gloves are off when it comes to sticking to your own patch, with phone calls being made to everybody and anybody this week no matter who has been dealing with who in the past.

Farmers with numbers are in the strongest position this week, with quotes of up to €5.15/kg for heifers going where numbers are involved.

The general run of heifer and bullock quotes this week is at €5.00/kg, with a few deviations off this. Weaker outfits are trying to buy bullocks at €4.90/kg and heifers at €4.95/kg, but all are increasing quotes when pressure is applied.

Deals of as high as €5.40/kg for Aberdeen Angus heifers are being done, with factories very hungry for both Hereford and Aberdeen Angus cattle.

Bull trade

Bulls are also in demand, with €5.20/kg continuing to be paid for U grading under-24-month bulls this week in some locations.

R grading bulls are being quoted at €5.00/kg to €5.10/kg, with a little more going to regular suppliers and those with numbers. O and P grading bulls are trading at 5c/kg to 10c/kg less than this.

Under-16-month bulls are generally working off base prices of €4.90/kg to €4.95/kg.

Cow prices

Well-fleshed P+3 cows continue to trade at €3.90/kg to €4.00/kg, depending on weight and quality, with a little more going to farmers with bigger numbers this week.

O grading cows are working off €4.10/kg to €4.20/kg depending on the processor, while good R grading cows are coming in at €4.30/kg to €4.40/kg.

U grading cows are being quoted at €4.40/kg to €4.50/kg, with more being paid by some processors.