Beef prices continue to fall

Marts: There was no easing in the downward trend in beef prices last week with up to 2p/lb coming off prices paid at individual factories and an overall national average drop of 1p/lb.

Throughput slumped by 11,500 head to 30,325 head due to the nation-wide protest and slaughtering cutbacks. Bullock supplies were 16,790 head compared to 24,740 head the previous week. Lower throughput did not ease the pace of price reduction, which was maintained, with a further 1p/lb knocked off the average paid for R3 bullocks and heifers. The average paid by individual factories dropped by up to 2p/lb.

Overall factories paid an average of just under 90p/lb for R3 bullocks. Apart from Carrigans paying an average of 92p/lb and an average of 91p/lb at Kepak, at Watergrasshill, another 10 factories paid 90p/lb, and a further 10 paid between 89.5p/lb and 90p/lb.