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There are plenty of positives within the beef trade this week, as factory agents chase a dwindling supply of in-spec cattle.
With numbers hard to come by, farmers with finished cattle to sell are on strong ground to bargain for higher prices, especially where they have the option to offload stock through the live ring.
Mart managers indicate prices are up 10p to 15p/kg on good-quality steers and heifers, with 290p/kg becoming more common, which converts to a factory price above the 490p/kg mark.
Factory agents are reluctant to lose out on cattle and having to up the ante in terms of price deals offered to farmers.
Base quotes are up 4p/kg, putting U-3 grading animals on 452p/kg. However, most reports put prime cattle 20p/kg ahead of quotes, with 474p/kg freely available for in-spec steers and heifers.
There are deals of 2p to 4p/kg more being paid to regular finishers, as well as transactions being made that include haulage.
At the upper end of the market, there are reports of 480p/kg paid to finishers handling big numbers on a regular killing arrangement.
Such is the urgency for cattle at present, farmers with animals originally booked for slaughter next week have been asked to bring animals forward for processing before the end of the current week.
The short-term outlook is that numbers will remain tight going into January. But just how that translates into price will ultimately depend on beef sales early next year.
Last week, the average price paid on steers and heifers of all grades jumped by 3.5p/kg to 457.99p/kg.
Steers at U3 conformation rose by 2.8p/kg to average 472p/kg, while heifers marginally improved by 0.2p to 469.8p/kg.
Cows
The cow trade appears to have bottomed out, with quotes for R3 animals holding at 324p/kg.
Deals are generally running between 335p and 340p/kg, with younger, fleshed cows easier to secure higher returns on.
NI sheep: steady prices but deals on carcase weights
The lamb trade is steady this week, with quotes holding at 535p/kg for 22kg deadweight, making lambs worth £117.70. However, deals of 550p/kg remain on offer.
There are growing reports that plants are freely paying finishers handling bigger numbers to 22.5kg deadweight in an effort to stop lambs heading south for slaughter.
In the marts, more lambs were on offer, but prices held firm. In Gortin, heavy lambs from 26kg to 30kg sold from £125 to £129, 24kg made £121, with 22kg to £112.
In Kilrea, the trade was steady, with lambs making 484p to 537p/kg, little change on last week. Lambs at 19kg made to £100, 21.5kg to £108.50, 23kg to £119.50 and 24kg to £122.50.
Markethill sold 1,320 lambs in an improved trade from 480p to 519p/kg, up by 10p to 14p/kg.
Heavy lambs at 26kg reached £128, 24.6kg to £119, with £111 paid for 21.4kg, £117 for 23kg and £114 for 22.4kg.
Store lambs were a firm trade selling to 560p/kg for 17.5kg at £98 and 522p for 18kg making £88.50.
In Saintfield, a smaller show of 670 lambs made 480p to 530p/kg, no change on last week.
In Rathfriland, a very small show of 490 lambs sold to a top of 533p/kg for 21kg. Over the sale, the average was 477p/kg, little change on last week.
Ewes
Fat ewes are easier this week. Gortin sold to a top of £122, with a big run from £94 to £120. In Kilrea, top was £146. In Markethill, fat ewes made £80 to £104. In Rathfriland, top was £177, with a big run from £140 to £170.
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