Thursday, March 28, 2024
7.9 C
Galway
HomeBeefBeef trade: What are factories in Northern Ireland quoting?
Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Beef trade: What are factories in Northern Ireland quoting?

Base quotes for in-spec U-3 grade prime cattle remained steady at 354-360p/kg at plants in Northern Ireland this week, according to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC).

It noted that the majority of plants were quoting at the upper end of this range for steers and heifers.

In the same week last year, the major processors were quoting 312-320p/kg for in spec U-3 grading steers and heifers.

Quotes for good quality O+3 grade cows continued to range from 260-270p/kg across the plants with quotes for early next week expected to range from 260-280p/kg.

Throughput

Prime cattle throughput in NI last week totalled 7,154 head up 130 head from the previous week.

This was 543 head behind the 7,697 prime cattle processed in the same week in 2019.

Cow throughput in NI last week increased by 70 head to total 2,455 head, back by 13 per cent from the 2,819 cows processed in local plants in the corresponding week last year.

Southern cattle

Imports of prime cattle from ROI for direct slaughter in local plants last week totalled 382 head with a further two prime cattle imported from GB. Cow imports from ROI for direct slaughter last week totalled 214 head with a further 29 cows imported from GB.

Exports from NI for direct slaughter in ROI last week consisted of 14 prime cattle and 104 cows with no cattle making the journey to GB for direct slaughter, according to the LMC.

Prices

The average steer price reported in NI last week was 358.7p/kg, an increase of 1.5p/kg from the previous week. The R3 steer price increased by 0.6p/kg last week to 367p/kg.

In the same week last year, the R3 steer price in NI was 322.9p/kg.

The average heifer price in NI last week increased slightly to 361.1p/kg with the R3 heifer price up by 0.7p/kg to 368.2p/kg.

In the corresponding week in 2019, the R3 heifer price was 327.9p/kg. The average young bull price in NI last week reported a decrease of 2p/kg to 344.3p/kg with the R3 young bull price back by 1.5p/kg to 356.4p/kg.

Meanwhile, the LMC noted, the average cow price in NI last week declined by 0.7p/kg to 246.3p/kg, while the O3 cow price increased by 1.7p/kg to 277.3p/kg.

GB

The average steer price in GB last week was back marginally to 368.3p/kg while the R3 steer price held steady from the previous week at 374.9p/kg.

Last week the differential in R3 steer prices between NI and the GB average narrowed to just under 8p/kg or £28 on a 350kg carcase. The average heifer price in GB last week was up by 0.4p/kg to 368.4p/kg while the R3 heifer price was back by 0.7p/kg to 373.6p/kg.

The differential in R3 heifer prices last week between NI and the GB average narrowed to 5.4p/kg or £17 on a 320kg carcase, the LMC added.

Meanwhile, the average cow price in GB was up by just under 2p/kg to 241.9p/kg with the O3 cow price back by 0.6p/kg to 269p/kg, 8.3p/kg below the equivalent price in NI last week.

 

- Advertisment -

Most Popular