Search is on for high quality cattle

SUPPLIES of finished beef cattle remain tight, and the trade continued on a firm note for the week, with some processors slightly improving their prices for cattle.

There is no panic at the factories to get large supplies of cattle, but they do need a level of throughput sufficient to meet orders on hand. As a consequence, some processors have improved their prices by 3 cents/kg (1p/lb), to get producers to sell.

Up to 250 cents/kg (89p/lb) is being offered for R3 steers in the North West, with a top price of 246 cents/kg (88p/lb) going in the midland for Rs.