Post premia bull calves on offer

Marts: The first post premia bull calves - without entitlement to any EU direct payment - have started to appear in the mart sales rings, where they are selling at a price drop estimated to be up to €70/head.

The cut-off birth date for entitlement to the EU premia payments under the current headage based system - which ends this year - was May 31, 2004. Bull calves, with birth registered dates from June 1, 2004, carry no entitlement to premia and with the first of these now arriving in the mart sales, buyers are beginning to factor in part of the loss of the premia.

The first indications on price have shown a drop of €50 to €70/head in the value of the bull calves with post June 1 registered birth dates when compared to those being sold in the marts this week with birth dates of pre-May 31.