Stronger prices hitting processors

Marts: As beef prices at the factories continue to harden this week, the processors are complaining bitterly that the heat in the trade is becoming too intense to bear.

Scarcity of supplies is continuing to drive the trade, and with up to 94p/lb freely on offer for R grade bullocks yesterday, the processors were beginning to carefully measure the intake to that of their precise requirement to fill orders on hand.

But they were finding that sourcing only what they needed to meet requirements was proving difficult for most because of the short supply, and more costly than had been budgeted for at all plants.