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Quotes for fat cattle are steady again this week at the local meat plants. The best quote is at 328p/kg for steers and 330p/kg for heifers.
However, 6p/kg is widely available ahead of base quotes, and at the top end, regular suppliers of in-spec cattle continue to get around 340p/kg for steers and 344p to 346p/kg for heifers.
The adverse weather this week has caused little or no disruption to cattle supplies and factory agents report that numbers available are meeting their needs.
However, with beef sales remaining relatively slow in our main market in Britain, the actual prices being paid eased slightly last week.
The average price of steers was back 1p/kg to 332.3p/kg, with heifers at 335.1p/kg. Top grading U3 steers averaged 340.4p/kg, with U3 heifers at 345.9p/kg.
Prices paid in NI have fallen 10p/kg behind those paid in Scotland, especially for R grades and better, but remain on a par with England. UK beef prices are ahead of most other European countries.
That includes the Republic of Ireland, which continues to lag 20p to 30p/kg behind NI prices depending on the grade.
As a result, the trade in cattle coming north for slaughter remains relatively strong, with 314 head crossing the Irish border last week, an increase of 20 cattle on the previous week. Trade in the opposite direction dropped back to just 48 head. And no fat cattle went across to Britain for slaughter.
2019 comparison
Looking at prices paid for prime cattle in NI 12 months ago, steers and heifers were 10p/kg ahead of what is being paid now.
However, one noticeable difference is the price paid for cows.
This time last year, R4 grades averaged 261.5p/kg. Last week, that average sat at 277.5p/kg, suggesting that the trade for manufacturing beef remains relatively robust. The best quote for an R grade cow remains at 260p/kg, with an O+3 grade cow at 250p/kg.
Hogget trade
The hogget trade has advanced again this week by 5p/kg, with 445p on offer at the plants. This makes a hogget worth £97.90 at the 22kg deadweight limit.
The trade in the marts is firm, with prices paid at both Massereene and Saintfield moving up.
In Kilrea, 300 hoggets made from 404p to 424p/kg, down by 6p for heavier hoggets.
Massereene had a show of 609 hoggets and they made from 415p to 466p/kg, up by 10p/kg. The top price of 466p was for a pen of Texels weighing 22.5kg making £105/head. Other lightweights at 22kg made £95 to £96.50. Heavyweights from 25kg to 28kg made £103 to £108. Medium weights from 23kg to 24kg made £101 to £104/head.
In Saintfield, 431 hoggets made from 409p to 450p/kg, up by 9p/kg on last week.
Ewes
The demand for fat ewes remains strong, with top prices on a par with last week. The top in Newtownstewart was £122; in Omagh it was £118 and in Swatragh it was £126 for 350 head sold. In Massereene, the top was £110 for a pen of Rouge. Suffolks made to £108, Mules to £96 and Blackface to £71. In Kilrea, the top was £107 and in Saintfield it was £132/head.
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