Drop in price of beef continues
The drop in price was across all grades and all locations with the weekly drop in prices for beef continuing at twice to three times the rate at which the returns to the producers increased earlier in the year.
Returns from the factories show that the national average for R3 bullocks dropped by 1.5p/lb to 96p/lb for last week’s kill and the average for R3 heifers was down by nearly 2p/lb at just over 96p/lb being paid.
The top factory average for R3 bullocks was short of 98p/lb at Liffey Meats, Ballyjamesduff, which, with Duffy’s of Gort and AIBP at Clones, were the only three plants to pay an average of over 97p/lb. A further four factories paying an average of between 96.5p/lb and 96.8p/lb were Kildare Chilling at Kildare, Dawn Meats at Ballaghadereen, Kepak at Clonee and AIBP at Waterford.
Two of the six AIBP meat plants were among the top seven on price for R3 bullocks with the AIBP Group at an average of 96.5p/lb, the only one of the major groups paying over average for the week.
The overall average for O3 bullocks dropped to 92.6p/lb with prices at individual factories ranging 95p/lb - 91p/lb.
Kepak at Clonee paid an average of 101p/lb for R3 heifers, with AIBP at Nenagh and Meadow Meats at Rathdowney the only others to pay 98p/lb or a fraction over. They were followed by Liffey Meats at an average of just under 98p/lb and Slaney Meats at Bunclody paying an average of 97.5p/lb. The average for O3 heifers was 92p/lb.
Dawn Meats at Ballyhaunis topped for cows at 78p/lb for R4H and 77p/lb for O4H. Liffey Meats paid 73p/lb for P+4H cows.
