Largest cut this year for beef prices

Marts: Beef prices have experienced the largest cut in returns in the year to date with up to 10c/kg (4p/lb) wiped off returns to producers who supplied stock to the factories in the past week.

Despite a slight decline in intake at the factories, the sharp downturn in prices was effective across all categories with few exceptions, but analysis shows that the larger operators in the beef processing industry are bringing prices back at a faster rate and the margin between factories has widened to 35c/kg (12p/lb) for O3 heifers.

Of the three major processing groups, AIBP, Dawn and Kepak who between them operate 15 factories, only four plants paid the average for R4L bullocks in last week’s kill which was 347c/kg (124p/lb), a drop of 7c/kg.