Cattle supplies remain tight and are likely to stay that way over the coming weeks, according to the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA).
Commenting on the current situation, ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham said:
“With stock scarce, the days and weeks ahead provide an opportunity for farmers to fight for a decent price.
“Factories are actively looking for cattle, and will likely have to give a little to get them,” he said.
Farmers should push for an extra 10c/kg at an absolute minimum for next week.
“We need to get the price moving up for once, and now is the time to do it while factories are hungry for supplies.
“This tightening in cattle numbers will continue well into the month of May so we need to keep up pressure for a better return,” the beef chairman concluded.
Beef trade
As reported by AgriLand earlier this week, in the past week, there has been a little more bite in the beef trade – especially for farmers with in-spec steers and heifers. Where farmers have numbers on hand, negotiation power is falling into the hands of the supplier in some cases.
The general run of quotes for prime cattle continues to hold steady at 340c/kg. Farmers that have that in-spec heifer or bullock may be able to secure an extra 5c/kg; this depends on the number ready to market and factory-farmer relationship.