Stronger factory beef trade

Marts: Kildare Chilling and Kepak (Watergrasshill) increased prices by an average of 1.5p/lb to top the improvements in prices paid for R4L bullocks last week to bring the averages at the individual plants to 109.6p/lb and 108.8p/lb respectively.

Donegal Meats dropped by 0.4p/lb — on the heel of an increase of 2p/lb the previous week — to pay the highest factory average of 110.8p/lb. AIBP (Bandon), Dawn (Ballaghadereen), Kepak (Clonee), Meadow Meats and Liffeys all improved prices by 1p/lb.

Farmer pay-sheet returns show that the highest paid last week was 112.4p/lb for U3 at Donegal Meats, slightly ahead of Slaney Meats and Euro Foods. Southern prices continued to trail the north-west by up to 4p/lb equivalent to €40/head.