Up to 93p/lb offered for R3 steers

THE slow improvement in cattle prices at the factories has been largely confined to the poorer grading animals this week, which have gained another 3 cents/kg (1p/lb).

The exception to this general pattern is in the north west, where Donegal Meats have gone well clear of the rest of the field, opening up a prices lead of up to 14 cents/kg (5p/lb), but for R3 steers only.

Donegal is paying 260 cents/kg (93p/lb) for these quality animals, but their price for R4 slips back to 252 cents/kg (90p/lb), which is still 6 cents/kg (2p/lb) ahead of almost every other processor. The general prices on offer are steady for the second consecutive week, at 246 cents/kg (88p/lb) for Rs.