Finishing cattle earlier a 'bad investment' if farmers can't get price needed to cover costs

"Finishing cattle earlier is not cost neutral - it costs money."

Conservative estimates by Teagasc said prices would have needed to be at the €6 per kg level by early spring to cover the basic costs of production, Mr Graham noted, "but we haven’t come even close to that". 

There is "no incentive" for farmers to finish cattle earlier given how stagnant beef prices have remained over the last number of months, a farm organisation has said.

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association beef chairman Edmund Graham has said that back in mid-December, farmers were getting €5.10 per kg for heifers and €5 per kg for steers.