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The uplift in the beef trade experienced over the last two weeks remains the dominant feature of the trade.
Factories are working hard to resist upward price pressure and have in many cases managed to keep prices for small numbers traded in check.
Steers are trading on a base of €3.80/kg, while heifers are trading on a base of €3.90/kg.
There are more sellers with greater negotiating power falling into a higher base price bracket of €3.95/kg for heifers and €3.85/kg for steers, while those with the greatest negotiating power have broken the deadlock and achieved a base of €4.00/kg for heifers.
Bulls and cows
Demand for bulls and cows also remains robust. Bulls are trading on average at €3.85/kg for R grades and €3.95/kg for U grades.
Specialist finishers continue to command 5c/kg to 10c/kg higher, with some flat-priced deals reported at €3.95/kg for mixed batches of R and U grading bulls.
P+3 grading cows remain at a wide range of €3.05/kg to € 3.25/kg, with numbers traded having a big influence on price. Fleshed O grades range from €3.25/kg to €3.40/kgg with R grades rising to €3.55/kg to €3.60/kg at the top of the market.
U grades are starting at a price of €3.55/kg and are capable of rising to €3.65/kg to €3.70/kg for the best-quality heavy cows at the very top of the market.
More bite in NI trade
Reports show there is more life entering the trade in Northern Ireland. Base U-3 quotes remain at a range of £3.54/kg to £3.56/kg, which is the equivalent of €3.99/kg to €4.02/kg (€4.21/kg to €4.24/kg incl VAT at 5.4%), but sellers with greater negotiating power are said to be extracting another 2p/kg from the market with top prices rising 6p/kg to 8p/kg above base quotes.
Fleshed O grading cows are selling from £2.60/kg to £2.80/kg (€3.09/kg to €3.33/kg incl VAT), with heavy R and U grading cows rising to £3.00/kg (€3.57/kg).
British beef prices continue their gradual upward movement. The AHDB reports average R4L prices rising by 1.5p/kg to 2.5p/kg, leaving R4L steers averaging £3.78/kg (€4.50/kg incl VAT) and R4L heifers averaging £3.75/kg (€4.46/kg incl VAT).
The latest prime cattle kill for the week ending 11 November increased about 1,000 head to 31,817, while the cow kill eased from 12,274 to 12,038. Cow prices also eased by 1p/kg, with O4L cows averaging £2.59/kg (3.08/kg incl VAT).
Irish beef exports passed the 50,000t mark in September
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