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The Easter bank holidays mean there is a steadier outlook to the beef trade this week as processors operate over fewer killing days.
Some plants have temporarily reduced throughput in order to facilitate sheep processing with the Ramadan festival nearing its conclusion.
Official base quotes are holding at 478p/kg for U-3 grading animals. However, some processors are dragging their heels, with quotes back below 460p/kg.
Such quotes are intentionally in place to curtail the prices payable on cattle sold through premium breed schemes, namely Aberdeen Angus.
Where plants are working at these lower quotes, there is growing anger among suppliers as the premiums available to farmers are being wiped out.
Furthermore, farmers supplying Angus cattle are also frustrated at the tick box criteria often required to maximise these bonus payments.
As such, more and more suppliers are turning to the live ring to offload such animals and indicate prices on offer are superior to those paid by some processors.
Moving to conventional cattle, prices continue to open around 490p/kg for U grading animals, but 494p/kg is being paid on steers, with heifers making 496p/kg.
There have been deals reported in the low 500p/kg range, but such prices are reserved for larger finishers with good numbers of cattle being supplied every week.
In Britain, factory prices on prime cattle are running well ahead of those on offer in NI. Official price reports indicate British R4L heifers averaged 499.3p/kg last week, with steers on 499p/kg.
U grading heifers are making 510p/kg in Scotland, with steers generally commanding 2p to 4p/kg less. Prices in England are in the region of 506p/kg for U grading animals.
Cows
Cull cows continue to increase in value, although official quotes for R3 animals remain on 390p/kg. In reality, factories are on a base of 410p/kg. Deals of 415p/kg are on offer, with 420p/kg for U grading animals.
NI sheep: final push for Ramadan boosts prices
The sheep trade remains positive, with further increases to hogget and spring lamb quotes.
Some plants increased lamb quotes by 10p/kg to 640p/kg, but others are on a base of 650p/kg. Deals are generally 5p to 10p/kg, making lambs worth £138 at the 21kg weight limit.
Hogget quotes are up 5p/kg to 585p/kg, but, again, deals are typically 595p to 600p/kg, making a 22kg carcase worth £132.
In Swatragh, 480 hoggets made from 520p to 570p/kg, while in Kilrea, spring lambs reached 585p/kg for 20kg at £117 and 578p/kg for 22.5kg at £130.
In Saintfield, spring lambs made 580p to 625p/kg, with 26kg to £140 and 23kg making £135. Hoggets made 510p to 560p/kg, up 20p/kg on last week. Good Suffolks and Dorsets at 27kg made £135, with 25kg Texels making £130 and 24kg Suffolks to £126.50.
Ewes
There remains plenty of demand for fat ewes, with Kilrea selling to £174, while in Saintfield, Texels sold at £215, with a big run from £125 to £190.
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