Producers ready for cold Christmas as beef prices stall

Beef prices continued unchanged at the factories this week, denting the expectations of producers on the verge of the Christmas kill, which has often been relied upon to deliver a boost for the finishers.

The recovery in the supply of cattle to the factories in recent weeks has aided the resolve of the processors to resist producer demands for stronger returns in the run up to the seasonal demand for beef for the festivities ahead.

Quoted base prices for the steers continued at 390 cents/kg at most of the plants, with some reports of a few cents/kg more being achieved for very good stock or where the intake fell short of the processors requirement.