Factory agents remain hungry for cattle, with quotes remaining on a similar level to last week in most factories this week.

Bullocks are working off a base of €5.00/kg to €5.05/kg, while heifers are working off a base price of €5.10/kg to €5.15/kg.

Breed bonuses of up to 30c/kg are being paid out for Aberdeen Angus in-spec cattle, while Hereford cattle are attracting bonuses of as high as 25c/kg through the Hereford Prime group.

The increased Hereford bonus is available to cattle booked through Hereford Prime and slaughtered from 14 October to 15 November.

Cows

O+ suckler cows are generally working off €4.50/kg to €4.65/kg, while O grading dairy cows are being bought at €4.30/kg to €4.40/kg, depending where you are.

R grading cows are being quoted at €4.75/kg to €4.80/kg and higher money is available where numbers are involved.

P+3 cows are working off €4.30/kg to €4.40/kg, depending on weight, age and flesh cover.

Bulls

Under-24-month bulls are still working off a €5.35/kg to €5.40/kg base price for U grading bulls.

R grading bulls are coming in at €5.20/kg to €5.30/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought at €5.00/kg to €5.10/kg.

P grading bulls are working off €5.00/kg, depending on weight and flesh cover.

Under-16-month bulls are generally working off a €5.00/kg to €5.05/kg base price.

UK trade

Across the water the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board is forecasting a tightness in the UK finished cattle supply chain for later in 2024 and into 2025. As at 1 July 2024, the number of cattle on holdings in the UK stood at 7.79 million head, down 1.8% year on year.

The number of cattle for beef production aged under 18 months was down year on year, driven by a reduction in the breeding herd.

Lower numbers of cattle for beef production points to tightness in cattle supplies in Q4 of 2024 and lower slaughter numbers into 2025.

Dairy beef calves were the only group that saw growth in registrations. However, that growth does appear to be slowing.

The decline in numbers is on the back of big declines in suckler registrations in the last two years - a similar trend that we are seeing in Ireland.