Trade quieter in the marts

Marts: Overall the trade was quieter in the marts where numbers on offer were either steady or up on last week at yesterday’s cattle sales.

Most noticeable is the widening in the price difference between the quality animals and plainer cattle which has now opened up at beef and store level.

Farmers are no longer buying a bullock to qualify for a premium and are factoring in to their purchasing price the wider price difference between quality stock and poor grading animals at the factories where there is an average of over €50/head between R and O grade and still more for the quality U-grade animal.