Ploughing likely to affect beef intake

THE weekly kill at the factories has increased slightly, although substantially trailing 2008, and the prices are for the most part stable.

Some of the processors were finding intake tighter for the opening days of this week, which is not unusual for the week of the National Ploughing Championships, when many farmers take a few days off to attend the major annual agricultural event.

Nonetheless, processors remain reluctant to concede any increase in prices, unless forced to do so by pressure to get in additional cattle.