This weeks’ factory quotes for beef cattle see base prices holding firm at most outlets and the off-season breed bonuses begin to kick in for eligible cattle.
The 20c/kg Irish Hereford Prime bonus kicked in last week (Monday, March 20) on all pre-booked cattle slaughtered at ABP Food Group and Kepak sites and will remain in place for three weeks before rising to 25c/kg from April 10.
The 25c/kg bonus will remain in place for four weeks before returning to 20c/kg on Monday, May 8. From May 22, the bonus will return to the standard level.
The table below shows the dates for the Irish Hereford Prime off-season bonus:
Similar bonuses may be available on Hereford cattle at other sites and on cattle which were not pre-booked and farmers should enquire with their factory agent.
Angus factory bonus
As well as this, ABP Food Group and Kepak sites are also offering a 30c/kg bonus on all eligible Angus heifers and steers that have been pre-booked with Certified Irish Angus.
The 30c/kg Angus bonus will remain in place for 10 weeks (between next Monday, April 3, 2023 and June 9, 2023).
Similar bonuses may be available on eligible Angus cattle at other sites and on cattle which were not pre-booked, and farmers should enquire with their factory agent.
Depending on levels of supply and demand, factories may extend the breed bonus offerings and farmers should discuss this with their factory agent or procurement officer.
Heifers and steers
Heifer price remains steady, with most outlets quoting prices ranging from €5.30-€5.35/kg on the grid this week, with some sites quoting a lower rate of €5.25/kg on the grid for heifers.
Steers (bullocks) are generally being quoted at prices from €5.25/kg upwards, with some outlets putting forward the lower quote of €5.20/kg on the grid for steers.
Flat-price deals of €5.70/kg and above are on offer at some outlets for suitable Angus heifers and steers.
Cow price
O and P-grade cows are continuing to dominate the weekly cow kill, with the numbers of R and U-grade cows available to factories appearing low.
There remains to be plenty of scope for negotiations on cow price across all grades where well-fleshed, heavy cows with carcass weights over 270kg are available.
€5.00/kg is being quoted for U-grade cows with €4.90/kg being quoted for R-grades.
O-grade cows are being quoted at €4.70/kg with €4.60/kg being quoted for P-grade cows.
Bulls
Under 24-month bulls are being quoted at flat prices ranging from €5.30-€5.40/kg for U-grades with €5.20-€5.30/kg being quoted for R-grade bulls. O and P-grade bulls are being quoted at €5.10/kg and €5.00/kg respectively.
Finally, under 16-month bulls are being quoted at €5.20-€5.25/kg on the grid.