Supply of 36,400 cattle last week kept lid on prices

The upward beef price trend at factories over recent weeks has ground to a halt, as strong supplies of cattle continue to pour into the plants.

The beef trade has now entered the busy countdown to Christmas, but the continued strong flow of cattle has left the factories in a comfort zone.

Overall, the quotes for this week are unchanged, at a base of 385-390 cents/kg for steers. A few deals are reported at up to 395 cents/kg, but are hard to negotiate this week, with no pressure on processors to get sufficient supply.