No change in upward trend

Marts: The overall trend in beef prices continued upwards at the factories with further gains of just under 2 cent/kg in the average for R4L bullocks for last week which brought the average paid to just over 105p/lb.

While the top price of 107p/lb at Donegal Meats was only fractionally higher, Kildare Chilling paid 1.5p/lb more at an average of 106.4p/lb and Kepak (Clonee), AIBP (Waterford, Bandon and Nenagh), Meadow Meats, and Ashbourne (Roscrea) all paid 1p/lb more. One third of the factories paid 106p/lb or better for R4L bullocks and a further third paid between 105p/lb and 106p/lb with the southern factories continuing to trail the rest of the country.

The intake of bullocks was almost identical to the previous week at 19,993, out of a total throughput which was up 600 head at 37,776 head. The supply of cattle to the factories has slipped slightly under the same time last year.