Buyers market as processors dig in

Marts: It was a buyers’ market for cattle, with processors paying very little over the quoted prices, which reduced prices by an average of 3 cent/kg (1p/lb) for last week’s kill at the factories.

Although the supply dipped slightly it did not affect the will of the processors to continue to enforce the downward price trend.

Nationally the factories paid an average of 86p - 82p/lb for R/O grade bullocks and 86.6p - 83p/lb for R/O grade heifers with more variation between factories.

Of the major players among the processors, AIBP Group paid 0.6p/lb less, while prices dropped by over 1p/lb at Dawn and Kepak Groups. AIBP Group paid slightly over the average with a factory average of 87p/lb paid at Nenagh and Cahir plants for R4L bullocks. Across the Dawn group the average paid was 86p/lb and a similar average at Kepak Group.

There were also some indications that flat prices were being paid at some of the smaller plants.

At the upper end of the price league Donegal Meats, Jennings of Ballinrobe, Ashbourne Meats at Roscrea and AIBP at Cahir and Nenagh paid an average of 87p/lb for R4L grade bullocks, with a fraction less average at AIBP, Waterford.

Jennings of Ballinrobe paid an average of 86p/lb for O4L, with an average of 83p/lb paid at AIBP factories at Nenagh, Rathkeale and Cahir, Donegal Meats, Kepak at Watergrasshill and Ashbourne Meats, Roscrea.

R4L heifers topped at 102p/lb at Kepak, Clonee, with a strong 91p/lb going at Slaney Meats and AIBP at Nenagh.

Cull cow prices slipped by up to 4p/lb at the top with O grade easing by 1p/lb and P grade back 2p/lb. The highest factory averages - Kepak at Clonee paid 75p/lb for O4 and 73p/lb for P+3.