Cattle numbers coming forward at meat export plants remained tight again this week. This is according to the latest Food Alert from Bord Bia published this morning.

It said this has helped to keep prices buoyant as meat plants look to fulfill regular customer requirements. Meanwhile beef markets have been described as dull, with the end of the holiday season combined as warm weather and low consumer spending keep demand for most beef cuts subdued, the Bord Bia update added.

“Base quotes under the Quality Payment System continued to be between €4.10 to €4.15/kg for steers and €4.20 to €4.25/kg for heifers. In-spec steers and heifers from Quality Assured farms are eligible for an additional 12 cent per kilogram, which equates to an average of €44 per head on steers and €37 on heifers. Producers should be mindful that this bonus is only payable on steers and heifers aged less than 30 months at slaughter, as many animals are now approaching this age limit,” it added.

According to the update, the trade for cull cows also improved again, with quotes for O grades now generally between €3.30 and €3.50/kg.

“Cattle supplies at export meat plants for the week ending 17th August stood at 25,940 head, which was just 74 head lower than the corresponding week in 2012. For the year to-date, cattle throughput is running 81,000 head above last year’s levels. Steers account for almost 39,000 head of this increase, while cow numbers have been almost 28,000 head higher,” it added.

Image Photo O’Gorman Photography
Graphs courtesy Bord Bia

Ireland Meat Plant Prices(€/kg dw excluding VAT)

Week Ending % Change Average to Date % Ch
Cattle 18.08.2012 17.08.2013 Prev.Week Prev.Year 2012 2013
Steers O3 3.68 3.84 0.0 4.3 3.76 4.00 6.4
O4 3.67 3.85 0.3 4.9 3.76 4.01 6.6
R3 3.85 4.04 0.5 4.9 3.93 4.17 6.1
R4 3.84 4.03 0.2 4.9 3.92 4.17 6.4
U3 3.99 4.12 0.0 3.3 4.03 4.26 5.7
Young Bulls O3 3.71 3.60 0.0 -3.0 3.79 3.90 2.9
R3 3.88 3.90 -0.5 0.5 3.93 4.10 4.3
U3 3.99 4.02 -0.2 0.8 4.02 4.18 4.0
Heifers O3 3.79 3.95 0.3 4.2 3.87 4.17 7.8
O4 3.78 3.91 -0.8 3.4 3.87 4.17 7.8
R3 3.99 4.16 0.0 4.3 4.05 4.38 8.1
R4 3.97 4.15 0.0 4.5 4.04 4.36 7.9
Cows O3 3.29 3.17 1.6 -3.6 3.41 3.39 -0.6
O4 3.31 3.19 1.3 -3.6 3.42 3.41 -0.3

Ireland male YTD chart
Ireland cow YTD chart
Ireland male YTD chart
Ireland cow YTD chart