Beef making lower gains

Marts: Beef prices continued the upward trend, making gains of 1-3c/kg, while the rate of price increase eased at the factories for last week’s kill.

Intake at the factories was up almost 1,000 head at 32,756. The bullocks were marginally lower (down 200 head) at 14,049 and the supply of heifers up 500 head at 10,106. The price increase was enough to push the average paid for R4L bullocks to 336c/kg (120p/lb) for the first time in two decades, a significant benchmark for producers with a top factory average of 340c/kg (121.3p/lb) paid by Donegal Meats, a whisker ahead of Liffeys (Hacketstown and Ballyjamesduff) Moyvalley, Euro and Slaney Meats.

The higher prices are being paid by the smaller processors. The average paid by the three larger processing groups (AIBP, Dawn and Kepak), who control half of the factories, was 335c/kg, while the rest combined paid an average of 338c/kg for the same type stock. The factories in Munster were also collectively trailing the rest of the country at 334c/kg compared with 338c/kg for the R4L bullocks.

The processors paid an average of 328c/kg (117p/lb) for O4L bullocks, an increase of 2c/kg.

The national average for R4L heifers was up 3c/kg at 339c/kg (121p/lb) and a top price of 344c/kg (123p/lb) at Kepak (Clonee) having edged ahead of Donegal Meats, followed by Ashbourne, Slaney, Liffeys (Ballyjamesduff), all on 342c/kg (122.2p/lb). An average of 329c/kg (117.7p/lb) was paid for O3 heifers.

The top price for U grade bullocks gained 2c/kg to 348c/kg (124p/lb — paid by Donegal — and the highest for U grade heifers was up 1c/kg to 351c/kg (125p/lb) at Slaney.

The trade for cows held strong. Kepak (Clonee) paid 304c/kg (108.7p/lb) for R grade cows and Kepak (Kilbeggan) led the market for O/P grades paying an average of 298c/kg (106.4p/lb) for the O’s and 292c/kg (104.2p/lb) for P’s. Intake of cows was up 10% at 5,212 head, which is 1,500 head lower than this time last year.