Regional price difference widens

Marts: It has been another week - the third in succession - of steady average prices for beef at the factories.

The margin of difference between individual factories in both ends of the country for R and O grade bullocks has widened to 5p/lb, a gain or loss of more than €50/head on similar weight animals after a slip of 1p/lb in the south.

The national average for R4L bullocks remained constant at 105p/lb with the average for R4L heifers a fraction of p/lb higher. Prices for O4L bullocks were 102p/lb, while the national average for similar grade heifers slipped under 102p/lb.

A top price of over 107p/lb was paid for R4L bullocks at Donegal Meats, with Euro Foods Newgrange at Navan and Exel of Kilbeggan, Moyvalley Meats and Kepak at Watergrasshill paying an average of 106p/lb or a fraction better.

Within the larger processing groups, the average paid by the AIBP Group was unchanged at just under national average - Nenagh and Clones paying slightly over, while the average at Bandon slipped to 102.5p/lb.

Dawn Group paid the national average, marginally higher with small increases at Ballaghadereen and Midleton.

Prices for O4L bullocks peaked at over 105p/lb at Jennings of Ballinrobe, just ahead of Donegal Meats, but for the first time this year prices for O4L at Bunclody slipped just under 100p/lb.

The pattern for heifer prices mirrored the bullocks. For R4L heifers, Kepak at Clonee paid an average of 109p/lb - allowing for some premium price contract cattle in the kill - while Donegal Meats and Meadow Meats at Rathdowney each averaged 107p/lb.

Cull cow prices moved forward slightly at a top price for R4L of 97p/lb at Euro Foods.