Tight supplies holding cattle prices steady

The cattle trade starts the new year where it finished off. Base prices remain unchanged across all plants, with official quotes starting from 344p/kg, while 350p/kg remains the best base quote for U-3 cattle.

Strong demand for cattle in Britain during the runup to Christmas has continued into the new year, which is helping to maintain current prices.

In addition, cattle numbers remain extremely tight this week, with reports of some plants running short of their daily quota, while others are struggling to maintain throughput.

With factories eager for cattle, it has postponed any moves to pull prices in the meantime.

With agents keen to source numbers, farmers are reporting various deals on offer again this week.

Prices start from 348p/kg at some plants and mainly being paid on dairy bred stock, while prices are starting from 352p/kg on continental-type cattle.

Steers have generally been paid to 356p/kg, with heifers still making 2p to 4p/kg above this level at the top end of the market.

Some farmers report they are being paid a flat rate price on steers and heifers where they have larger numbers for sale, such is the demand for cattle.

Haulage has been included in some deals, but mainly for cattle moving greater distances.

The average price paid for steers and heifers last week was 352.18p/kg, up 5p/kg from the previous week.

The absence of cattle being imported from southern Ireland can be clearly seen at present.

During the first week of 2016, almost 625 cattle were imported from the south for direct slaughter in northern plants. This figure equates to approximately 10% of the weekly prime cattle kill during December. The cow trade also remains steady, with 240p to 245p/kg being quoted on O+3 cows and 250p to 260p/kg being quoted on R grades.

Sheep

The best quote for hoggets at the factories is unchanged this week at 375p to a maximum of 22kg deadweight. Others have edged back by 5p and 10p to 370p and 365p/kg.

In the marts, prices are steady. In Lisahally (Monday) and Gortin (Tuesday), hoggets sold to £86 for 26kg, while 23kg and 24kg sold from £80 to £82/head, similar to last week’s prices.

At Tuesday’s sale in Saintfield, 488 hoggets were sold from 320p to 378p/kg, which is little changed from the prices at its last sale in 2016 prior to Christmas.

In Rathfriland on Tuesday evening, 515 hoggets sold from 323p to 360p/kg to average 341p, down 3p on their last pre-Christmas sale.

Fat ewes sold to a top of £95/head in Saintfield and to £85 in Rathfriland. Lisahally had 30 in-lamb Suffolk Cheviot hoggets on offer, scanned and carrying twins and they sold from £140 to £160/head.