Christmas for buyers

WITH plentiful supplies of cattle to factories this week, the trade is shaping up for a buyers' market for the final weeks of the ten years of EU headage based premia.

Overall, there is not much change in prices being paid for cattle at factories this week, but any remaining pre-Christmas price optimism must be fading by the day, with supplies exceeding demand.

The general run of prices this week ranged from 246 to 249 cents/kg (88p or 89p/lb) for R grade stock and 235 to 238 cents/kg (84p or 85p/lb) for O grade under 30 months.