Autumn price trend’s cold bite

THE weekend change in the weather was not the only reminder of autumn for cattle farmers, with a seasonal adjustment in prices biting into their profit margins this week, as finished cattle supplies continued to increase.

The beef price stability of the past two months disappeared on Monday, when processors reduced prices across the board by up to 6 cents/kg (2p/lb) for under age cattle, and some hinted at penalties being re-introduced for over 30 months cattle.

The reduction came with an increased kill at factories last week, to more than 40,000 head, with the steer kill increasing to more than 25,000, and exceeding the peak weekly kill of the 2002 autumn.