Beef prices firm up but finishers still face headwinds

Processors are keeping a tight rein on further upward movement in prices.

Although the intake of cattle at the factories has held consistently above 32,000 head/week over the past month, the processing centres remain actively interested in all supplies available to them.

A slight increase in prices paid last week has been maintained with the trade stabilising. Steers are generally on a base of 640c/kg. Some quality lots and suppliers with larger numbers to offer are securing up to 5c/kg more.

It is a similar pattern of trade for the heifers on a general base of 650c/kg and up to 660c/kg being secured in some deals between factories and suppliers this week.

The week of the National Ploughing Championships has often been a good time to have cattle to offer to the factories to gain a price benefit as its usual for a majority of farmers to turn their attention more to a day or two out to enjoy the farming festival.

Not so this year, as with supply flowing smoothly, while the prices have firmed, the processors are keeping a tight rein on further upward movement.

The trade for cows is holding very firm again and recovering from the slippage two weeks ago of over 6c/kg on the average paid with R grade running at around 630c/kg this week and a little more for larger number of well-fleshed cows.

It is a low point of the season for the young bulls with the weekly supply ranging from 1,200 to 1,500 head. Prices for R grade are ranging 655-660c/kg.

The factories are willing to take all of the cattle on offer to them these weeks and there are no waiting lists to get finished cattle killed.

The weekly intake has topped 32,000 head steadily for the past four weeks, which is up on the same period last year, leading to the deficit of year-to-date supply compared to 2025 tightening week on week.

There is a sense of more positivity about the beef trade since the ban on EU importing Brazilian beef came into effect with the prices to producers having firmed up and recovering the dip experienced during July and early August.

However, it has been a very tough year for the finishers battling the high cost of bought in stores, the inflation on production costs, a difficult grass growing summer on many farms, and finished cattle returns from the factories running at €300/head or more just under a year ago.

The supply last week was slightly lower than the previous week at 32,578 head, which was around 3,500 head more than the same week last year. The intake included 14,277 steers, 9,080 heifers, 7,266 cows and 1,313 young bulls.