The beef trade is slowly turning back into more positive territory, with some factories quoting more money for bullocks and heifers for next week’s kill.
The trade had steadied for the last fortnight, with bullocks moving at €6.60/kg and heifers being sold at €6.70/kg base price.
The price has already moved on 10c/kg for next week, with P+3 cows moving on to €6.30-€6.40/kg in places.
Larger feeders are also reporting an increasing anxiousness from factories for supplies for the summer period, with some stipulating regular supply through the summer months as a prerequisite to any future contract price talks later in the year.
Exports
Roscommon-based Maxwell Livestock loaded 1,665 bulls on to the Alondria livestock carrier last Wednesday.
The ship docked on Tuesday 7 April in Algeria where the bulls were unloaded safely and transported to customers.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal Derek Maxwell said: “It’s a huge undertaking with timing for everything being critical from transport to loading.”
While live exports are back in 2026 there is a better outlook for the rest of the year. Poor weather conditions and complications around restrictions due to the Irish outbreak of bluetongue meant that some delays were encountered, but with these issues ironed out, activity is expected to ramp up again in the coming months.
Maxwell Livestock is hopeful of assembling another load for export in early summer.
“Our customers are happy with the quality of the Irish cattle. The health of the weanling is still number one for them though, and I couldn’t stress enough the importance for suckler farmers to vaccinate their stock against pneumonia,” he said.
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