Beef market report: €1/kg price gap to UK leaves farmers unhappy

Beef prices at the factories have entered a freeze zone, haunting cattle farmers with their worst fears, that little has changed after their very difficult 2014.

Despite improved trade for beef in the UK, prices being quoted by Irish processors for this week are unchanged at best, and have weakened from the February average at several beef plants.

The base for steers is being quoted at 410 cents/kg in general this week, with a minority of cattle farmers reporting deals that deliver a few cents/kg more, as processors continue to effectively tighten the reins on prices, and kill the expectations of farmers who were optimistic for the spring trade.