Low beef supply stalls price decline

A tightening in beef supplies has stalled the decline in prices at the factories with a firming of the return to producers for poorer grades at some of the processors.

Bullock supplies to the factories were down by 1,200 head last week with a kill of 22,900 head, dropping under the throughput for the corresponding week in 2002, as the rising trend of previous weeks was reversed.

Enquiries to factories were lighter than normal yesterday, indicating that recovery in the supply is unlikely this week.