Beef trade enjoys surge in prices
The average price paid for cattle increased by 1-2 cents/kg with the throughput reaching its highest since early April, at over 36,000 head last week. The supply of bullocks reached 19,316 head last week, an increase of 3,000 head on top of a rise of 1,400 the previous week. The intake of heifers was 7,272.
R4L bullocks gained 1 cent/kg with slight reduction in the average at some factories being more than offset by increases of 3-5 cents/kg (1p-1.5p/lb) at other locations as the national average improved to just under 102p/lb.
AIBP paid a group average of 101p/lb was unchanged with prices at individual factories varying from 100p/lb at Bandon and Cahir to 102.4p/lb at Clones and 102.8p/lb at Waterford. Prices were also stable at Dawn group (101p/lb) and Kepak (101.5p/lb). Donegal Meats led the market at an average of over 105p/lb, followed by Euro Foods (Duleek) at 104p/lb and Dunbia Newgrange (Navan) at 103p/lb, just ahead of Liffeys (Ballyjamesduff), AIBP (Waterford) and Kepak (Clonee). An average of 98p/lb was paid for O4L bullocks against a top price of almost 103p/lb at Donegal, 101p/lb at Jennings of Ballinrobe and 100p/lb at Euro Foods.
Heifer prices maintained the lead on bullocks with an average of 102.5p/lb for R4L and increase of 1 cent/kg. Kepak (Clonee) paid over 109p/lb — including premium on contract animals — ahead of Donegal Meats at 107p/lb and Euro Foods, Dunbia Newgrange and Slaney Meats each paying just under 104p/lb. The national average for O3 was just over 98p/lb.
