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Finished cattle go into the Easter bank holiday weekend on a positive footing, with factory agents keen for numbers, despite operating kill lines over fewer days next week.
Good quality in-spec steers and heifers are in demand and there are reports of factory agents being more flexible with deals to entice farmers to offload animals.
That said, there is no major uplift in prices being paid. Most reports indicate there is 2p/kg more on offer for regular finishers, while free haulage is becoming more common in lieu of higher prices.
Official quotes are unchanged at 460p/kg for U-3 grading animals, although some plants are 4p to 6p/kg below this level to curtail prices on cattle sold through premium breed schemes.
However, the main run of prime cattle are freely opening around 480p to 482p/kg. Regular finishers and farmers with bigger numbers are pushing prices to 486p and 488p/kg, especially when in-spec heifers are available.
At the opposite end of the trade, farmers with limited negotiating power and under herd movement restrictions report prices being capped at 474p to 476p/kg.
Young bulls are a hugely variable trade, with reports of plants pinning some farmers on deals around 470p/kg, while, at the same time, paying steer prices on young bulls meeting certain weight limits.
With the bank holiday weekend approaching, all plants will close on Monday. Foyle is also closed on Good Friday, while ABP and Dunbia are working Friday but closed on Easter Tuesday.
Last week, the average price paid across steers and heifers of all conformation grades increased by 1.3p/kg to 470.9p/kg.
On U3 steers, prices marginally increased by 0.4p/kg to average 482.3p/kg, with heifers at the same grade unchanged on 483.8p/kg. Young bulls averaged 470.5p/kg, up 3.2p/kg.
Cows
Quotes for cull cows are broadly unchanged, with O+3 animals on 340p/kg and R3 cows on 350p/kg, with deals running 10p/kg above these levels.
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Heavy hoggets continue to make strong money in the live ring, although plants have eased quotes by 10p to 690p/kg. However, deals of 700p to 710p/kg are available and payment is being made to 23kg deadweight.
Gortin sold hoggets to £195 for 38kg, £193 for 33kg, 28kg to £188, 25kg to £170 and 23kg to £165.
In Kilrea, hoggets were up 6p/kg on last week and topped £200. In Markethill, hoggets made 610p to 657p/kg, down 10p/kg on last week.
Hoggets at 24kg made £172, 24.7kg at £164, 24.1kg at £160, 21.4kg made £141, 22.8kg at £149 and 23.4kg at £159. Store hoggets were a strong trade from £104 to £123.
In Saintfield, 450 hoggets sold from 630p to 770p/kg, no change on last week. Beltex hoggets at 27kg made £212, 23kg at £175, 27kg made £175 and a big run from £159 to £174.
In Ballymena, hoggets at 27.5kg made £192, 35.5kg at £191 and 32.5kg at £189. Lighter hoggets at 21.5kg made £168.
Spring lambs in Saintfield made £166 for 24kg Dorsets and £165 for 22kg Texels.
Ewes
The trade for fat ewes is strong. In Gortin, ewes sold to £300, with a run from £148 to £259. In Rathfriland, top was £256. In Markethill, ewes topped £236, with the main run from £175 to £230.
In Saintfield, the best Texels made £248 and £240, with the main run from £152 to £218.
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