Optimism as prices hold

The officially quoted base prices for beef at the factories are unchanged for this week, but like the turn around in the weather, there is also a bit more optimism among finishers for an improvement.

The processors were showing some concerns at the start of the week that the drier weather could lead to a tightening in supply, as the ground conditions on farms improve and the attention of farmers turns to salvaging the harvest.

The quoted prices for the week were a base of 380-390 cents/kg (135p-139p/lb) for the steers and 390-395 cents/kg (139p-141p/lb) for heifers.