Beef market report: Rare example of August beef market strength

The combination of tight supply of cattle for the factories, and hardening of prices, is almost as rare in the second half of August as frost.

Part of the explanation could be improved weather over the past couple of weeks bringing excellent farming conditions, and harvesting of grass and other crops leaving less time for delivering cattle to factories.

While there is no indication of supply drying up, the tighter supply in recent weeks has forced processors to work a little harder to keep the intake flowing, and to pay a little extra to get stock through the gates.