Beef prices: quotes jump 20c/kg on back of huge demand

The beef price keeps on climbing, with another 20c/kg welded on to base quotes this week on the back of insatiable demand from factories.

It’s all about the flat prices again this week, with €8.20/kg to €8.30/kg on the table for cattle quoted on a flat-rate basis.

There are some Aberdeen Angus bullocks and heifers moving at €8.40/kg flat price this week.

For any cattle being bought on a base price this week, bullocks are working off €7.80/kg to €7.90/kg, with heifers moving at €7.90/kg to €8.00/kg base price.

As always, higher quotes are available to those with numbers and regular customers.

Cows

Cows continue to move in a positive direction, with €7.20/kg to €7.30/kg now on the table for well-fleshed R grading cows in the south of the country and €7.40/kg where bigger numbers are involved.

U grading cows are up to €7.50/kg to €7.70/kg, with O grading suckler cows making their way up to €7.00/kg to €7.20/kg in some factories.

O grading dairy cows are being quoted at €6.70/kg to €6.80/kg. P+3 cows are working off €6.50/kg to €6.60/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 between €4/kg and €4.50/kg for fleshed cows in marts over the weekend.

A 2016-born Charolais cow weighing 920kg sold for €4,080 in Dowra Mart, Co Cavan, on Saturday.

At a 56% kill-out, that cow would come into 515kg dead and would need to come into over €8/kg by the time commission and killing costs are included to break even.

Bulls

Under-24-month bulls are still working off €7.40/kg to €7.60/kg for U grading bulls and higher where larger numbers are involved.

Flat prices as high as €7.80/kg have been paid to some larger suppliers for mixes of U and R grading bulls. R grading bulls are at €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg, while O grading bulls are being bought at €7.20/kg to €7.30/kg.

Under-16-month bulls are working off €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg on the grid.