NI Trends: average U3 steer prices push on to 500p/kg; lamb quotes rising

Processing demand is building as factories concentrate on securing cattle for Christmas orders, with some plants now moving to a six-day kill.

With higher throughput required, prices are edging up and, last week, the average price paid by NI factories for U3 steers rose 1p to 500.4p/kg .

Heifers were unchanged at 499.3p/kg, while across all conformation grades, steers and heifers rose by 1.2p to average 490.3p/kg.

Reports indicate local plants are also filling gaps in supply chains at sister plants in Britain, where cattle availability is extremely limited.

That tightening in supply is reflected in prices above 530p/kg in Scotland for U animals, with prices around 520p/kg in England.

Back home, quotes remain on a top of 482p/kg for U-3 animals. At the opposite end of the quote range, a 2p/kg lift brings the lower quotes to 480p/kg.

Prime cattle remain well ahead of base quotes, with 496p to 498p/kg freely available as a starting price.

Farmers with bigger numbers and a steady supply of animals coming on to the market over the next few weeks have a much stronger negotiating hand to secure higher prices.

Deals of 500p and 502p/kg have been regularly reported, with higher prices of 505p/kg paid for butcher-type heifers.

Higher prices are on offer to specialist finishers, who remain extremely active in the live ring for short-keep animals.

Farmers struggling to secure higher returns and are not under movement restrictions should consider the live market for higher conformation steers and heifers.

Prices of 290p/kg to 300p/kg are widely available for good-quality animals, which converts to deadweight prices above 500p/kg.

Young bulls are moving at 488p to 490p/kg, with some deals for in-spec animals rising upwards to 494p/kg.

Cows

Quotes for cull cows are on 380p/kg for O+3.

Good-quality suckler types are pushing closer to 400p/kg, with R3 animals averaging 393.4p/kg last week.

NI sheep: base quotes rise to 615p/kg

Fat lambs have moved up a gear in marts, with prices over £140 and rising to tops of £172.

That has pushed plants to lift quotes 15p/kg to 615p/kg, but deals 10p to 15p/kg above this are available.

In Gortin, a strong trade saw lambs sell to £154 for 30kg, £150 for 27kg, 24kg to £140 and 22kg to £128. Store lambs made £113 to £123.

Kilrea had a similar trade to last week, with 1,200 lambs selling from 560p to 642p/kg. Lambs at 24.5kg made £142.50, with 23.5kg to £141.

A strong trade in Markethill saw 1,290 lots make 550p to 618p/kg, up 10p/kg for heavy lambs and 35p/kg for lighter sorts. Lambs at 22.8kg made £141, 20.4kg at £126, 27kg made £160 and 24kg at £142.

Light store lambs at 13.5kg made £99, 13.8kg to £100 and 17.2kg made £116.

In Saintfield, 810 head sold from 580p to 710p/kg, up 30p for heavies and 80p for store lambs. Lambs at 30kg made £168 to £172, with the main range from £130 to £160.

In Ballymena, lambs at 24kg made £143.50, 23kg to £132, 22.5kg to £131.50 and 20.5kg at £119.

Fat ewes

The trade for fat ewes is steady this week. In Gortin, ewes topped £197, with a run from £110 to £172.

In Markethill, fleshed ewes made from £120 to £198, with plainer sorts from £60 to £100.

In Saintfield, Texels sold to £212, with a run from £148 to £199.