Factories pay 3 cent less for beef

Marts: Factories paid up to 3 cent/kg (1p/lb) less for beef for last week’s kill as the margin over-quoted prices paid by the processors were tightened further.

The average for most categories of cattle dropped by 1-3 cent/kg and cull cow prices were back by up to 6 cent/kg (2p/lb) on the previous week, the latter in line with the lower quoted prices for the week.

The intake of bullocks at the factories was almost similar to the previous week at 20,532 head - 2,300 head less than the same week in 2004 - out of a total kill of 37,716 head, compared to 40,276 for the corresponding week last year. Total intake year to date remains 7% lower than 2004.

Farmer pay sheet returns from the factories show that an average of slightly over 88p/lb was paid for R4L bullocks, down 2 cents/kg on the previous week. The highest factory average was almost 91p/lb paid by Donegal Meats, well ahead of the next highest, Euro Farm Foods at Duleek where the average was 89p/lb, similar to that paid by Slaney Meats at Bunclody. Two of the AIBP factories, Clones and Waterford, Newgrange at Navan and Kildare Chilling all paid averages between 88.3p/lb and 88.6p/lb. The average for O4L bullocks was 84.5p/lb. The group averages for AIBP, Dawn and Kepak were similar at 88p/lb, all lower by 1-2 cents/kg.

The national average for R4L heifers fell by3 cent/kg to just under 89p/lb. Kepak at Clonee paid an average of almost 103p/lb - premium priced heifers included - while Slaney Meats at Bunclody and AIBP at Nenagh paid over 92p/lb average. The average for O4L heifers was slightly lower at 85p/lb. The top price for cull cows was 82p/lb paid by Euro Farm Foods for heavy R3 carcasses, which was 6 cent/kg (2p/lb) lower than the previous week.