Beef prices show further gains
Cattle supplies were strongest in the south and east yesterday, but considerably tighter up country where the prices were strongest with plenty of competition between processors for the quality animals.
Most of the factories were offering 3 cent/kg (1p/lb) more in their quoted prices with the top-up dependent on the level of supply available. While some processors in the south claimed to be getting plenty of R grade animals for 286 cent/kg (102p/lb) it was hard to find many producers willing to sell below 289 cent/kg-plus (103P/lb), which was freely available in the south. Moving east 291 cent/kg (104p/lb) was on offer at Slaney Meats and in the Midlands Exel was getting very few animals for less than 105p/lb. In the north-west they were worth another 2p/lb at least. Prices for O-grade stock were 283-280 cent/kg (101p-100p/lb) with most of them making 102p/lb and edging towards 103p/lb.
