Deadweight Great Britain cattle prices rose again in the week ending April 30, almost across the board, according to the latest data and analysis from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
The Great Britain all-prime average price was 438.4p/kg, up nearly a penny on the previous week, the AHDB said. Within that – it added – steep prices overall, increased by 1.3p to 439.2p/kg and heifer prices by 1.3p to 439.3p/kg.
Young bull prices however, decreased by 2p to land at 427.5p/kg.
According to AHDB red-meat lead analyst Duncan Wyatt, demand for manufacturing beef continues to be reported as strong.
This trend continues to be reflected in the price of cow carcasses, up 2.3p overall to 358.2p/kg, he said.
However, there is some optimism that demand for steaks in particular will be supported during upcoming Jubilee weekend, helping to balance demand for beef trim, Wyatt added.
Beef exports continue strong
In other beef-related news, the AHDB has also said that UK beef exports continue to be strong.
The UK exported 10,500t of fresh and frozen beef in February the AHDB said, which is up 54% from the same month in 2021.
In fact, this is the highest February beef-export figure since 2011.
AHDB livestock analyst Hannah Clarke said this uplift appears to be largely driven by an increase in the quantity of fresh carcass, especially those sent to France, which saw tremendous growth compared to the same month in 2021.
There was also growth in shipments of fresh boneless beef, again with growth to France, but also Ireland, she said.
In total, export volumes for the first two months of the year totalled 17,700t, up 55% year-on-year, she concluded.
Import figures show that the UK bought in 39,200t of beef in February, which was triple the amount imported in February 2021 and is significantly higher than any monthly beef import figure in at least the last 20 years, according to Clarke.
However, the analyst added that to put all of this into context, it must be noted that UK beef trade in 2021 was historically low.
