Base quotes from major NI beef plants for U-3 grade prime cattle ranged from 324-334p/kg, with the majority of plants quoting 332- 334p/kg for steers and heifers, according to the Livestock and Meat Commission.
Quotes for O+3 grading cows ranged from 240-252p/kg across the plants this week. “Similar quotes are expected for all types of cattle early next week.”
Throughput
Prime cattle throughput in NI last week totalled 7,087 head, a similar throughput to the previous week; this, the LMC outlined, is back 174 head from the 7,261 prime cattle killed in NI plants in the corresponding week in 2019.
Cow throughput in NI last week declined by 118 head to 2,063 head when compared to the previous week and 58 cows below the 2,121 cows killed in local plants in the same week in 2019.
Cattle imports from ROI for direct slaughter last week consisted of 238 prime cattle and 111 cows while a further 15 prime cattle and 90 cows were imported from GB.
Exports to ROI for direct slaughter last week included nine prime cattle and 37 cows while no cattle were exported from NI to GB for direct slaughter, according to the LMC.
Quotes
“The deadweight prime cattle trade in NI generally remained steady last week for the majority of grades. The average steer price in NI last week was 332.6p/kg up by 0.4p/kg from the previous week, while the R3 steer price increased by a penny to 341.3p/kg.
The average NI heifer price “remained steady” last week at 335.3p/kg with the R3 heifer price also holding steady at 341.1p/kg when compared to the previous week.
“There was an improvement in the young bull trade in NI last week with the average young bull price up by 4.7p/kg to 315.5p/kg while the R3 young bull price increased marginally to 326.9p/kg.”
The average NI cow price last week improved by 3.8p/kg to 237.5p/kg while the O3 cow price was up by 2.9p/kg to 257.2p/kg from the previous week.
The average steer price in GB last week increased by 1.5p/kg to 332.8p/kg while the average R3 steer price was up by a penny to 340.4p/kg.
The R3 steer price, the LMC pointed out, was back in Midlands and Wales (- 0.7p/kg) and Northern England (-0.5p/kg) with increases reported in both Scotland (+3.2p/kg) and Southern England (2.6p/kg).
The average heifer price in GB last week reported a half-a-penny decrease to 332.6p/kg with the R3 heifer price back by 0.4p/kg to 339.3p/kg from the previous week.
The R3 heifer price was marginally back in Scotland with declines also reported in Northern England (-1p/kg) and the Midlands (-1.8p/kg). Meanwhile, an increase of 2.7p/kg was reported in Southern England to 334.7p/kg. The cow trade improved in GB last week with the O3 cow price increasing by 2.7p/kg to 248.5p/kg.
ROI
“Reported prices for prime cattle in ROI last week increased in euro terms when compared to the previous week, however, a weakening in the euro has resulted in the prices decreasing in sterling terms.”
The LMC said the R3 steer price was back by 0.6p/kg to 308.7p/kg while the R3 heifer price was back by 1.7p/kg to 313.7p/kg, while the O3 cow price decreased slightly to 239.9p/kg.
