Farmers adjust weanling prices

Marts: As the annual round of weanling sales gets under way in the marts, farmers purchasing stock face a new set of calculations on value in setting the price this autumn.

For the first time in the weanling trade, some of the male animals being offered at this year’s sales will carry no entitlement to Special Beef Premia, and all other male weanlings will be curtailed to about 50% of previous years’ entitlements, and any weanling, male or female which will not be slaughtered before the end of December will forgo the Slaughter Premia.

The first indications of the adjustments which producers are making for the loss of up to €540 in premia and extensification entitlements in the life of male animals emerged at marts this week, but it will be at least another month before the market settles to provide a clearer picture of the losses weanling producers are facing.