Over 10,000 cows were slaughtered at Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-approved factories in the week ending Sunday, February 4.
According to DAFM, 68.3% of the cow kill were P grade cows.
These type of cows have been forming a growing volume of the cow kill in recent years – as the number of dairy cows in the country increases, and the number of suckler cows in the country declines.
The table below gives an overview of the national average prices paid per kilo (in cent/kg including VAT) for P grade cows in week five of this year:
1- 1= 1+ 2- 2= 2+ 3- 3= 3+ 4- 4= 4+ P+ 291 341 357 405 416 419 422 422 422 422 420 421 P= 312 320 343 390 401 412 413 417 413 415 403 424 P- 282 292 314 353 367 381 392 392 371 358 382 (No data)
Farmers can view the prices paid for all types of cattle by grade, fat score and factory on a weekly basis on the Agriland app. The prices for the previous week are generally uploaded on the Agriland site every Wednesday afternoon.
P grade cows
The average prices paid last week for P grade cows ranged from €2.82/kg for P-1- cows to €4.24/kg for P=4+ cows.
As can be seen from the table above, an average price difference of €1.42/kg exists within P grade cows.
The DAFM data does not differentiate cows with lighter carcass weights within each specified grade.
Some processors may have handled a large number of cows within a certain grade and fat score, with a high or low carcass weight, which could also distort the average price per kilo paid within that specific grade at individual outlets.
Cows with a carcass weight of approximately 270kg or less are generally paid at a lower rate than cows with a heavier carcass weight.