Beef trade: Factories add 10p/kg to cull cow prices

Update on factory quotes in plants across NI (Northern Ireland). 

Beef factories across Northern Ireland increased cull cow, bullock, heifer, and young bull quotes this week.

According to the LMC (Livestock and Meat Commission), the deadweight cattle trade “continued to strengthen” this week.

Base quotes for in-spec U-3 grade prime cattle from major Northern Irish processors ranged from 392-404p/kg.

Good quality O+3 grade cows witnessed a rise to the tune of 10p/kg, while quotes varied from 280-324p/kg across factories this week.

Factory quotes NI

According to the LMC:

• The average steer price rose by 5.4p to 407.1p/kg, while the R3 steer price was up by 5.3p/kg to 416.2p/kg compared to the previous week;
• Besides, the average heifer price in NI last week increased by 5.3p/kg to 407.6p/kg, while the R3 heifer price up by 4.2p/kg to 415.5p/kg;
• The average young bull price in NI increased by just over 4p/kg to 385p/kg, while the R3 young bull price was up just over a penny to 399.3p/kg;
• Meanwhile, the NI average cow price was up by 7.7p/kg to 299.1p/kg and the O3 cow price increased by 6p/kg to 322p/kg.

Throughput

Prime cattle throughput in NI plants last week amounted to 7,517 head.

This represents a decrease of 65 head from the previous week and 850 head more than the 6,667 prime cattle slaughtered in the same week last year.

Meanwhile, plants slaughtered a total of 2,168 cows last week, which was down 122 cows from the previous week.

However, this is 417 head more than the 1,751 cows processed locally in the same week in 2021.

Exports and imports

Imports from ROI for direct slaughter in NI plants last week amount to 390 head. 253 prime cattle and 137 cows were imported for direct slaughter.

In the same week last year, there were 399 prime cattle and 128 cows imported from ROI for direct slaughter.

Last week, no cattle made the journey between GB and NI for direct slaughter.

On the other hand, two prime cattle and 68 cows made the journey out of NI to ROI for direct slaughter.

GB: Factory quotes

In GB last week, the deadweight prime cattle trade also “continued to strengthen” across the grades.

• The average steer price in GB was up 2.8p/kg to 412p/kg, while the average R3 steer price rose by 2.5p/kg to 418.1p/kg. “The differential in R3 steer prices last week between NI and GB was 1.9p/kg or £6.65 on a 350kg carcase.”
• Secondly, the average heifer price in GB last week rose by 1.4p/kg to 411p/kg, while the average R3 heifer price was up 3.2p/kg to 419.5p/kg. “This puts the differential in R3 heifer prices last week between NI and the GB average at 4p/kg or £12.80 on a 320kg carcase.”

Beef prices in ROI:

• In ROI last week, the R3 steer price rose by the equivalent of 8.2p/kg to 390.8p/kg. This placed it 25.4p/kg behind the R3 steer price in NI.
• Meanwhile, the R3 heifer price saw “a notable increase” of 8.4p/kg last week to the equivalent of 394.8p/kg, which, according to the LMC, puts it 20.7p/kg below the corresponding price in NI.
• “The O3 cow price in ROI last week recorded an increase of 6p/kg to the equivalent of 329.1p/kg, just over 7p/kg ahead of the same price in NI,” the spokesperson concluded.

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