Improved bullock trade

There is an improved trade at the marts this week for all bullocks, but particularly for the medium/forward single punched bullocks qualifying for the premia before the end of the year.

Marts sales yesterday - and on Monday - showed an improvement of €20 to €40/head for the bullocks with improved demand in all parts of the country.

It is hard to be sure where the boost to the trade is coming from, because the steadier trade for beef is not a guarantee of prices beyond the end of the month holding up at present levels, unless cattle are in short supply, and all the money appears to be on a heavy kill for the remainder of the year as producers avail of every last euro from the premia before December 31.