Go south for beef
Prices are slightly weaker at some of the southern factories, where the supply of cattle is strong but, up country, where cattle supply has not increased to the same level, prices are holding better. Quoted prices for R grade cattle slipped to 280 cents/kg (100p/lb) at some of the outlets in the south this week, while generally staying at 282 to 286 cent/kg (101 or 102p/lb) in most other areas. As in recent weeks, quoted prices have become less relevant over the past several weeks, bearing little relation to actual prices paid by processors for beef.
Most factories have been paying R grade prices of 104 or 105p/lb, and they are still finding it difficult to get volumes of cattle for anything less, outside of the south, where they have been generally making 1p/lb less over the past two weeks.
