Factories put price penalty of 7p/lb on older cattle

PRICES for the older cattle are coming under more pressure as supplies to the factories build up, leading to a cut of up to 7p/lb off the going rate for older stock.

Prices for the young cattle were remained unchanged at the factories yesterday with Rs in general at 232-229c/kg (83-82p/lb) and O grade at 224c/kg (80p/lb).

At AIBP factories 85p/lb is being offered for the quality R grade cattle and 80p/lb for O grade with R3 as the benchmark for quality.

Despite some variations around the country, most of the factories reported supplies of young cattle yesterday as more than adequate, with some stressing that most of the requirements for the week had been booked in by the close of business and no pressure on processors to increase price to get cattle.

The deterioration in the weather has acted to force out any cattle that are not being housed and the kill last week indicated that the hard weather over the last couple of weeks has already started to show on animals still on the land.

The greatest pressure however is on the cattle over 30 months this week, with very strong supplies continuing to put pressure on prices which have dropped across the board to 76p-74p/lb for R/O grade. The indications are that there is still a strong supply of these older cattle in the system and that the kill is likely to hold up for some weeks yet.

Slaughter at the factories last week was at 32,210, of which steers accounted for 16,310, indicating a level similar to the previous, shorter, week At Dungarvan Mart, manager, Ger Flynn described the trade for the plain cattle as “tough” with some of the single punched bullocks being bought for 70 under euro/kg. Heifers made from 40 over to 100 over.

At Bandon punched out cattle on offer sold from 25 over to 200 over and light stores with a punch made from 170 over to 230 over.