Farmers with finished cattle can bargain

THE beef market has continued to heat up, with scarcity of finished cattle relative to market demand forcing processors to concede further improvements in prices.

This leaves farmers with fit in a strong position to bargain with factories and do very good price deals — which are badly needed after a production period during which the cost of feed reached its highest ever.

The most noticeable feature of the trade this week is the convergence on prices between the factories.