Beef prices: factories move to manage weekly kill

Factories struggling for supplies have moved to manage the kill this week, with some dropping back to a three-day week in some plants on the back of not being able to secure cattle for a four-day kill.

The move to a three-day week has shifted some cattle to next week’s kill, with some agents splitting loads of cattle that were booked in for this week to half of them being processed this week and the remainder shifted to next week.

Quotes remain similar, with most standing on at last week’s quotes, but some are trying to add a negative slant to the trade.

One factory in the northeast is trying to buy bullocks at €7.55/kg and heifers at €7.65/kg, but is getting very little cattle at those quotes.

Most bullocks are moving at base prices of €7.70/kg to €7.75/kg, with heifers moving at €7.80/kg to €7.85/kg.

Flat prices of as high as €8.20/kg to €8.30/kg are still available for good-quality continental cattle, with the same on offer for Aberdeen Angus cattle.

Breed bonuses of as high as 30c/kg are still available for Aberdeen Angus cattle for those selling on the grid.

Farmers are advised to price around if they have cattle to sell, with as high as 20c/kg of a difference in Monday’s quotes in different factories.

Cows

Cows continue to trade at very steady prices, with €7.20/kg to €7.25/kg on the table for well-fleshed R grading cows in the south of the country and €7.30/kg where bigger numbers are involved.

U grading cows are up to €7.40/kg to €7.50/kg, with O grading suckler cows making their way up to €7.00/kg to €7.10/kg in some factories.

O grading dairy cows are being quoted at €6.80/kg to €6.90/kg.

P+3 cows are working off €6.40/kg to €6.50/kg, depending on weight, age, flesh and numbers, with €6.70/kg paid to large feeders.

Factories want kilos of beef and whether that comes from cows, bulls, bullocks or heifers, it doesn’t matter at the moment.

Cows continue to make some exceptional money in marts, with factories paying as high as €4/kg and over it for fleshed cows over the weekend.

Bulls

Under-24-month bulls are still working off €7.60/kg to €7.80/kg for U grading bulls and higher where larger numbers are involved.

Flat prices as high as €7.90/kg have been paid to some larger suppliers for mixes of U and R grading bulls.

R grading bulls are at €7.40/kg to €7.50/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought at €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg. Under-16-month bulls are working off €7.40/kg to €7.45/kg on the grid.

Looking further afield, the latest R4L bullock price in Britain has hit €8.42/kg, up 6c/kg on the previous week and still 50c to 60c/kg ahead of the equivalent Irish price.