This week’s factory quotes for finished beef cattle sees outlets that were at the higher end of the trade last week move to reduce their prices for this week, while outlets quoting the lower rates last week have held their prices.
After enjoying weekly beef price increases of up to 20c/kg/week and above since the start of the year, the move by some outlets to hold prices and others to cut prices was described by one factory agent as a “reality check” for the trade.
Most factories will be only killing four days this week as a result of Good Friday on April 18 and four days next week due to the Easter Monday bank holiday on April 21.
Some factories reduced their kill to four days last week also. The reduced kill has eased the pressure on procurement staff to fill out kill sheets.
Many farmers had been holding on to forward and factory-fit cattle until the trade had levelled off and, with the move by some factories to reduce their prices, are now anxious to sell stock.
The first seven days of April saw beef prices continuing to increase, but price has now stabilised and even declined in some cases from April 7 to today (Monday, April 14).
While prime cattle prices have declined at the top-end of the trade this week, base price is still approximately €2/kg above where the trade was at the start of the year on Monday, January 6.
According to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), base quotes for U3 steers in Northern Ireland fell this week from £6.72/kg (€7.78/kg) last week to £6.50-6.68/kg (€7.52-7.73/kg) this week.
The 2025 Irish beef kill to date is 22,000 cattle ahead of last year. Supplies have been forecast to fall by up to 90,000 head below last year’s kill, leaving a potential drop-off in supplies of 112,000 head of cattle between now and the end of year.
While it remains to be seen if that reduction materialises, the reduced supply may well help underpin a good beef trade between now and the end of the year.
Farmers have told Agriland that flat prices of up to €8.30/kg have been paid this week for batches of ‘R’ grade continental heifers with €8.15/kg and above in cases available for ‘O’ grade Angus cattle.
Factory quotes: Heifers and steers
This week, bullocks (steers) are being quoted at €7.60-7.65/kg on the grid in general with €7.70-7.75/kg being quoted for heifers.
Flat price deals are not as widely available as in previous weeks as more outlets are pushing to return to grid-pricing cattle.
Breed bonuses of up to 30c/kg remain available on Angus cattle this week, with up to 25c/kg available for Hereford cattle.
Cow price
The top-end of cow prices have reduced for this week, with less of the higher-end premium prices available. ‘U’ grade cows are being quoted at premiums of up to €7.50/kg this week.
‘R’ grade cows are being quoted at €7.20-7.30/kg. ‘O’ grade cows are being quoted at €7.10/kg for better types, and fleshed, P-grade cows are being quoted at €7.00/kg.
Some outlets are paying above these rates while some others are paying below these rates for cows.
Bulls
Factory quotes for under-24-month bulls are at €7.90/kg and €7.80/kg for ‘U’ and ‘R’ grades respectively, with ‘O’ and ‘P’ grade bulls being quoted at €7.60 and €7.50/kg respectively.
Under-16-month bulls are being quoted at €7.65/kg on the grid.
