Supply shift hits cow sellers first

STRONGER than normal supplies of beef cattle to factories in early June have been threatening to weaken prices this week at the factories, and cull cow prices have been hit for the second consecutive week.

There has been strong resistance from cattle farmers to price reductions, adopting a hard sell approach and hoping to postpone any price cut for a few more weeks.

A number of factories quoted prices cuts of 3 cents/kg (1p/lb), when they re-opened for business on Tuesday after the holiday week-end.