Factory quotes: Higher cattle supplies sees price rises stall

Strong supplies of factory cattle throughout January coupled with the February bank holiday on Monday, February 5, and four-day-kills at most factories this week, has seen factory quotes for beef hold steady at most sites this week.

Some processors are citing a reduction of 5c/kg in their price quotes for this week, but with other outlets holding prices, it is not expected these price drops will take any significant hold on the trade this week.

Weekly beef kills have been trending higher throughout January – with 5,000 extra cattle processed in the first four weeks of this year compared to last year.

This trend had been forecast last year, and is expected to be partially resulting from reduced cattle performance last year, as a result of poor weather conditions leading to a higher carryover of cattle into the first third of this year.

Despite this, supplies of factory cattle are expected to decline overall this year.

Factory quotes: Heifers and steers

Factory price quotes for steers (bullocks) are generally ranging from €5.15-5.20/kg on the grid, with some outlets putting forward a reduced price quote of €5.10/kg on the grid this week.

Heifer prices are being quoted at €5.20-5.25/kg on the grid in general. The same outlets that reduced steer quotes are quoting an opening price of €5.15/kg on the grid this week for heifers.

In the week ending Sunday, January 28, the average (all inclusive) price paid for an R=3= grade steer was €5.37/kg, while the average price paid for an R=3= grade heifer was €5.42/kg.

Cow price

Cow price quotes have followed the same trend that prime cattle quotes have followed, adding further to the variation in prices paid for cows between factories.

Farmers can click here to view the prices paid for cows by grade and fat score on a factory-by-factory basis in the week ending Sunday, January 28.

U grade cows are being quoted at €4.70/kg in places and as low as €4.50/kg at other outlets.

Last week, Ashbourne Meat’s Pedigree Limousin Scheme was offering farmers €4.90/kg for U grade cows and €4.75/kg for R+ grade cows.

This week, R grade cows are being quoted at prices ranging from €4.40-4.60/kg. O grade cows are being quoted at €4.40-€4.40/kg and P grade cows are being quoted at €4.30-4.10/kg.

In the week ending Sunday, January 28, P1 grade cows made up just under 9% (8.8%) of the total cow kill. The average price paid for a P=1= grade cow that week was €3.11/kg.