After weeks of factory resistance, beef prices are rising, but at a slow rate. The greatest movement is with heifers, with a growing percentage trading at a base of €4.00/kg.

Plants are also willing to compete with greater strength for stock, a feature of the trade that has been largely absent this spring.

This is adding more life to the trade, with deals at the higher end of the market being completed at a base of €4.05/kg for today (Thursday).

Upward momentum is stemming from tighter supplies. Last week’s four-day kill reduced by 5,047 head to 28,905.

Looking back to the corresponding week in 2016, the kill for St Patrick’s week reduced to a similar level and never recovered to the previous throughput.

Reports from agents point towards this also likely to be a feature of this year’s weekly kill pattern, with supplies showing more signs of tightening. This year’s kill is running 7,241 head higher than 2016 levels. It should be noted that this includes 2,343 extra calves processed, with a total of 3,843 processed to date in 2017.

Steers are trading in general at a base of €3.85/kg, with sellers handling higher numbers and possessing greater negotiating power securing a base of €3.88/kg to €3.90/kg. Plants also continue to use subsidised transport costs as a bargaining tool to secure sales.

Bull prices are steady, with R and U grades trading for €3.80/kg and €3.90/kg respectively, with 5c/kg extra secured by regular sellers or those with higher numbers on offer.

Bulls less than 16 months and trading on the grid are selling at a base of €3.80/kg. The number of Friesian bulls is down to a very low level, with prices ranging from €3.55/kg for plainer-quality Friesian bulls to €3.65/kg to €3.70/kg for better-quality bulls.

There is also no change in the cow trade, with the wide differential that existed between plants remaining.

P+3 grades are selling from €2.95/kg to €3.10/kg, with fleshed O grading cows from €3.20/kg to €3.30/kg. Sellers handling large numbers continue to secure 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher.

R grades are selling from €3.35/kg to a top of €3.50/kg in cow-specialist plants, with U grades from €3.50/kg to €3.60/kg.

Steady NI trade

Northern prices remain unchanged, with the U-3 base quote ranging from £3.36/kg to £3.46/kg (€4.08/kg to €4.20/kg at 86.8p to the euro and 5.4% VAT).

Sellers operating at the higher end of the market continue to secure 2p/kg to 6p/kg higher, with top prices reaching £3.50/kg to £3.52/kg (€4.26/kg to €4.28/kg).

Cows are selling from £2.45/kg to £2.50/kg (€2.98/kg to €3.04/kg) for O grades, with R grades rising to £2.60/kg (€3.16/kg).

In contrast, the British trade has weakened marginally over the last two weeks. Average prices have fallen 1p/kg to 3p/kg, with R4L steers ranging from £3.57/kg to £3.60/kg (€4.34/kg to €4.37/kg), while R4L heifers are selling from £3.55/kg to £3.57/kg (€4.32/kg to €4.34/kg/kg).

Prices remain strongest in Scotland and the north of England.

Live exports

Calf exports hit 10,576 for the week ending 12 March 2017; the first time they reached this level since 2014.

The total number of calves exported to the week ending 12 March stands at 31,344 head, significantly ahead of the same period in 2016 where 19,431 calves were exported.

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