Narrow range in beef prices

As prices continued unchanged last week, returns for the first five weeks of 2007 show a narrowing of the price range for beef animals at the factories to less than 6 cents/kg (2p/lb) dividing the highest and the lowest.

Analysis of the farmer pay sheet payments to February 3 confirm there was less than 1p/lb in the average paid for R4L bullocks at the top 10 factories in the country at which the price ranged from 107p/lb to 107.8p/lb.

However, narrow as the margin of difference was, farmers supplying most of the southern-based factories continued to take less for their cattle. Only two southern factories — Kepak (Watergrasshill) and AIBP (Waterford) — qualified for a place among the ‘top 10’ on average price paid.

Euro Farm Foods (Duleek) paid an average for the period of 107.8p/lb and Donegal Meats at 107.7p/lb led the field. They were followed by Dunbia Slane and Kilbeggan, Liffeys, Kepak (Watergrashill and Athleague), Jennings (Ballinrobe), and AIBP (Waterford and Clones) all averaging 107p/lb or a fraction stronger.

The premium prices for contract club stock at Kepak pushed the Clonee plant to the top of the league for R4L heifers at an average of 110p/lb.

The remaining ‘top 10’ qualifiers paid averages between 108.8p/lb and 107.3p/lb AIBP emerged as strong contenders for heifers taking third and fourth positions for their plants at Nenagh and Waterford paying averages of 108.6p/lb and 108.5p/lb, just behind Kepak (Clonee) at 110p/lb and Euro Foods at 108.8p/lb. Usually strong contender Donegal Meats came in at eighth, paying an average of 107.6p/lb.

Last week the factories paid an average of 106.9p/lb for R4L bullocks and 107.4p/lb for R4L heifers. There was a top price of 108.3p/lb for the bullocks at Liffey Meats and 110.8p/lb for R4L heifers at Kepak (Clonee). Moyvalley paid 94p/lb for R grade cows. Kepak (Clonee) and AIBP (Clones) paid 93p/lb for O grade and Ashbourne Meats paid over 89p/lb for P grade.