NI beef trade: Steady as she goes

Beef trade NI

According to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), beef plants across Northern Ireland paid 362-376p/kg for U-3 grade prime cattle.

The commission reported the majority of factories quoted 370-376p/kg for steers and heifers this week as trade remained “steady”.

“The trade for cows also remained steady this week with quotes for good quality O+3 grade cows ranging from 265-290p/kg. Similar quotes are expected for all types of cattle early next week.”

Throughput

Last week’s prime cattle throughput in local plants totalled 6,751 head, a decrease of 327 head from the previous week.

In the same week last year, prime cattle throughput in NI totalled 5,466 head. Meanwhile, a total of 1,926 cows were slaughtered in NI last week – an increase of 334 head from the previous week.

In the corresponding week in 2020, cow throughput in NI totalled 1,510 head.

According to the LMC, imports of cattle for direct slaughter from ROI last week decreased to 195 prime cattle and 29 cows. Besides, no cattle were mported from GB for direct slaughter in NI.

Meanwhile, exports from NI to ROI for direct slaughter last week comprised of one steer and 68 cows with a further 32 prime cattle and five cows exported out of NI to GB for direct slaughter.

NI beef trade 

Last week, the average steer price in NI was back by 1.4p/kg to 379.9p/kg. The LMC reported that the R3 steer price back by 0.8p/kg to 389.1p/kg.

In the same week last year, the R3 steer price was 346p/kg. The average heifer price in NI last week was 381.9p/kg, back 1.4p/kg from the previous week. To note, the R3 heifer price was 389p/kg, a decrease of a penny from the previous week.

In the same week in 2020, the R3 heifer price was 346.3p/kg. The average cow price in NI last week increased by 2.8p/kg to 277.5p/kg, with O3 cow price increasing by 4.6p/kg to 301p/kg. According to the LMC, this is the highest recorded O3 cow price since June 2018.

GB

“In GB last week, the deadweight prime cattle trade came under pressure across all of the regions when compared to the previous week.”

“The average steer price in GB last week decreased by almost 5p/kg to 398.7p/kg, with the average R3 steer price last week back by a similar margin to 403.4p/kg.

In the same period last year, the R3 steer price in GB was 343.4p/kg. The average heifer price in GB last week was back by 4p/kg to 398.5p/kg. The R3 heifer price declined by 4.8p/kg to 402.7p/kg.

In the same week in 2020, the R3 heifer price in GB was 343.5p/kg. The average cow price in GB last week increased by a penny to 279.5p/kg, while the O3 cow price recorded a decrease of just over a penny to 301.3p/kg.

ROI beef prices beef

“Last week in ROI, the R3 steer price declined marginally from the previous week to 357.7p/kg. This puts the R3 steer price at 31.4p/kg behind the same price in NI.”

“The R3 heifer price last week increased by the equivalent of 0.4p/kg to 361p/kg. This places the R3 heifer price in ROI at 28p/kg lower than the same price in NI.”

“The O3 cow price in ROI reported a decrease of 2.7p/kg to the equivalent of 290.4p/kg last week, 10.6p/kg below the O3 cow price in NI,” the LMC concluded.

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