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Factory agents remain eager for finished cattle and with reports of supplies just about meeting processing demand, the beef trade remains on a solid footing in terms of prices paid.
With processors hungry for cattle, there has been some movement on base prices, with a 4p/kg increase to official quotes at the lower end of the market.
That increase lifts the lower end of the quote range to 470p/kg, whereas, at the upper end of the market, base prices remain on 476p/kg for U-3 grading animals.
The uplift in quotes will improve the value of cattle processed under breed schemes such as Aberdeen Angus, but it has little bearing on prices paid for animals going into conventional markets.
Reports indicate most plants are working on a starting price of 490p/kg for prime steers and heifers, although deals of 492p and 494p/kg are freely available this week.
Regular finishers and farmers with bigger numbers are well placed to negotiate for higher prices and there are reports of deals from 496p to 500p/kg on offer.
Higher prices above the 500p/kg barrier are reserved for specialist finishers on a weekly supply arrangement.
Young bulls are moving at 488p to 490p/kg for animals meeting age and carcase weight limits, whereas animals falling outside these specifications are making 480p to 484p/kg.
The upturn in processing demand and scarcity of finished cattle is evident in the rise in finished animals imported from the Republic of Ireland.
Imports jumped to 1,015 for the week ending 14 September, the highest weekly import figure for 12 months.
Last week, the average price paid across all steers and steers rose by 0.29p to 483.98p/kg, with U3 steers up 1.6p to 492.8p/kg, while U3 heifers eased by 0.7p to 493.9p/kg.
Cows
Cull cows are a rock solid trade with quotes for O+3 animals steady on 375p/kg with deals for good suckler types from 380p to 400p/kg.
NI sheep: live trade pushes ahead of factory prices
The live trade for fat lambs has improved this week, with prices up 5p to 15p/kg. That has seen some plants reacting with a base of 590p/kg, reversing attempts to cut prices to 585p and 580p/kg.
In Gortin, a good trade saw lambs selling to £138 for 25kg, £135 for 25kg, with 23kg to £122.
Kilrea sold 1,150 lambs from 544p to 618p/kg, up 4p/kg for heavier lots and 31p/kg for lighter sorts. The best lambs at 22kg were £132 to £136 and £132,with 24kg to £134 and 21kg at £118.
In Markethill, 1,330 head sold from 540p to 578p/kg, up 10p/kg on last week, as 20kg made £115.50 and 21.9kg to £126. Heavy lambs at 24kg made £138, followed by 24.5kg at £133.50. Store lambs were a strong trade, with 617p/kg paid for 16.2kg at £100 and 609p for 19.2kg at £117.
In Saintfield, 700 head sold from 520p to 615p/kg, up 15p/kg on last week for heavier sorts, with £166 paid for 27kg Texels, £150 for 30kg Texels and the main run from £120 to £143.
In Rathfriland, lambs at 24kg made £125. Store lambs at 19kg made £106. In Ballymena, good lambs sold from 540p to 548p/kg, with 25kg making £137.
Fat ewes
The fat ewe trade has eased slightly at several marts this week.
In Gortin, ewes sold to £197, with a run from £130 to £182. Kilrea had a top price of £168. In Markethill, fleshed ewes made £100 to £154, with plainer sorts from £60 to £90.
In Saintfield, Charollais ewes made £190 and Texels to £184, with a run from £148 to £172.
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