Beef prices strengthened across most categories in Northern Ireland this week.
That is according to the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC), who reported that base quotes for in spec U-3 grade prime cattle ended ranging from 366-372p/kg.
It expects quotes to range from 366-376p/kg next week, slightly higher than this beef prices this week.
“Producers should use these quotes as a starting point for negotiation with higher prices available, particularly for cattle that meet current market specifications.”
The deadweight cow trade improved at the upper end with quotes from 240-268p/kg. Quotes for early next week are expected to range from 260-270p/kg.
“The majority of NI processing plants have indicated a tightening in the supply of all types of cattle for processing.”
Throughput
Prime cattle throughput last week increased from the previous week to 6,040 head. This was 584 head behind the same week last year when 6,624 prime cattle were processed locally.
Cow throughput in NI last week increased from the previous week to 1,980 head. This is back slightly when compared to the same week in 2020 when 2,049 cows were processed locally.
Imports
Imports from ROI for direct slaughter in local plants consisted of 108 prime cattle and 41 cows with no cattle imported from GB for direct slaughter last week.
Exports of cattle from NI to ROI for direct slaughter last week consisted of three steers and 56 cows while no cattle made the journey from NI to GB for direct slaughter.
Beef prices
The average steer price in NI last week was 368p/kg, back 3.3p/kg from the previous week with the R3 steer price back by 2.3p/kg to 377.7p/kg.
In the corresponding week last year, the R3 steer price was 340.1p/kg. The average heifer price in NI last week was 370.5p/kg, back 1.2p/kg from the previous week.
Furthermore, the R3 heifer price decreased by a similar margin to 377.3p/kg. In the same week in 2020, the R3 heifer price was 341.2p/kg.
The average young bull price in NI last week increased by just over 3p/kg to 355.8p/kg with the R3 young bull price increasing by 3.5p/kg to 370.2p/kg.
Meanwhile, the average cow price was back 11.5p/kg to 246.4p/kg, with the O3 cow price back by almost 3p/kg to 273.7p/kg.
GB
In GB, the average steer price increased by 1.6p/kg to 372.6p/kg while the R3 steer price was up by 1.7p/kg to 378.7p/kg.
In the corresponding week last year, the R3 steer price in GB was 339.1p/kg. The average heifer price in GB last week was slightly back to 372.3p/kg from the previous week with the R3 heifer price up by a penny to 378.5p/kg.
In the same week in 2020, the R3 heifer price in GB was 338.2p/kg. The average cow price in GB last week increased by half a penny to 237p/kg, while the O3 cow price was up almost 3p/kg to 262p/kg. This was 11.7p/kg below the O3 cow price in NI.
ROI
In ROI last week, the R3 steer price was back 1.5p/kg to the equivalent of 340.9p/kg with the R3 heifer price decreasing by 1.3p/kg to 345.5p/kg.
In the corresponding week in 2020, the R3 steer and R3 heifer prices in ROI were 306.6p/kg and 312.3p/kg respectively.
Meanwhile last week, the O3 cow price in ROI was back a penny to the equivalent of 267.2p/kg. This was 6.5p/kg lower than the same price in NI.
