Cattle supply starts to recover

BEEF prices are showing further gains at factories this week as the trade settles down after two short working weeks, and demand remains firm. The downward slide in supply appears to have bottomed out, and has started to recover.

Some plants have also reduced slaughtering to three days per week.

Due to the high cost of bought-in feed, and home grown feed on farms running low, cattle are being moved as soon as they are fit, because marginal price increases would not cover the cost of holding back fit cattle.