Strong demand for store cattle

THERE is a very strong demand for store cattle in the marts this week at improved prices, as numbers on offer continue to increase to the seasonal autumn peak, and finishers are paying 90p/lb dw equivalent for double punched bullocks.

With another extensification date having been pencilled into the calendar for 2003, cattle farmers are more at ease buying in the knowledge of where they stand on extensification limits for the year.

The improvement in beef prices is also helping to drive the store prices, particularly for the forward quality animals which are capable of being finished to beef at under 30 months before the end of the year, with the expectation that prices for these animals will continue to harden, and the Christmas beef trade could be a paying target to pitch for with young animals this year.