Finishers hit by losses as break-even beef price reaches €8.22/kg

The variable costs and the fixed costs associated with calf-to-beef systems, where the plan is to kill these animals at two years old, is currently around €1,400

Teagasc beef specialist David Argue recommended purchasing animals for finishing which have the best potential to achieve satisfactory daily lightweight gains.

Even before the significant price rise for nitrogen fertiliser, and expected price rises for meal and agricultural contractor services, beef farmers have suffered considerable losses, said Teagasc beef specialist David Argue in a recent Beef Edge podcast.

He said young bulls for killing in May to mid-June, after a 230- to 240-day finishing period, will have to sell for €3,535, or about €8.22 a kilo, to break even.