Management at Dawn Meats were set to meet SIPTU representatives at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) today to discuss job losses at the company’s plant in Midleton, Co Cork.

FOOD inflation — a blip or a trend — is one of the questions being discussed at this year’s Agricultural Science Association national conference, which takes place in the Radisson Hotel Galway on September 12.

Marts: It has been a disappointing week for beef producers, during which the average price dropped 3 cent/kg (1p/lb), the largest decline in several weeks.

Marts: THE upward trend in beef prices has been maintained with gains of 4c-5c/kg (2p/lb) in the average price paid by the factories for stock for last weeks kill.

DAWN Meats announced yesterday a merger of two plants in the west of Ireland in a €15 million investment that will result in the loss of 80 jobs.

Downward pressure on beef prices is being led by the country’s largest beef processing groups, according to the officially compiled returns from the factories. Average prices have slipped by 1c/kg for R4L bullocks.

Marts: A majority of the beef factories paid more for beef — despite a strong increase in the supply — for last week’s kill, underpinning confidence in a stable trade.

Marts: Beef prices increased by an average of 3c/kg (1p/lb), while individual factories paid up to 6c/kg (2p/lb) more for cattle, despite an upward trend in supplies for last week.

Marts: Resistance from producers to the lower prices being quoted by the factories for cattle and a carryover of stock bought forward at higher prices sustained prices at an average of at least 6c/kg (2p/lb) over the quoted rates last week.

Marts: Beef prices have made further gains to maintain parity with last year for bullocks and edge slightly higher than 2006 for heifers as the recovery of the market continues.

Marts: Beef prices have slumped below 2006 level — for the first time this year — after the worst week for the dead trade in several months plunged finished into deeper losses.

Marts: As beef prices tightened at the factories for a second week, analysis of factory averages for the first two months of 2007 show smaller factories led the field within a narrow price variation nationally.

As the processors tightened their grips on prices the return on R4L bullocks fell slightly at a number of the plants last week, in an unwelcome signal for producers who increased supply by a further 1,300 head to almost 35,000 head.

There was very little movement in beef prices at most of the factories last week.

Marts: A strong improvement in the prices being paid by processors for cattle has brought about a good recovery in the supply to the factories.

Marts: The supply of bullocks to factories has dropped by over 30% in a single-week landslide, as producers showed the strongest resistance ever to lower prices by cutting the flow of cattle.

Marts: The indications that the factories were anxious to tighten the upward price trend for beef has been confirmed in the farmer pay sheet returns for last week’s kill.

Marts: Confidence in the beef trade has been further strengthened after another surge in the supply of cattle failed to dampen the upward trend in prices at the factories.

Marts: The upward move in the average paid for R4L bullocks continued with a gain of 1c/kg, with a meagre half of 1c/kg gain in the overall average for R4L heifers last week.

MARTS: THERE was no change in the average price paid by factories for cattle last week, which in general returned 6c/kg (2p/lb) above the quoted prices to producers.

THE progressive Dawn Group, which was founded in Waterford 25 years ago, opened a €46 million flagship meat processing plant in Wales yesterday.

Marts: Beef prices at the factories have bottomed out for the season with the first week of stable prices for bullocks in more than two months, and a slight increase in heifer prices confirmed in the pay sheet returns for last week.

Marts: Bullock prices averaged over 100p/lb for R3s at the factories last week, the first time in years for the benchmark price to be paid to producers countrywide, as returns to beef farmers continue to edge upwards with half the processors paying over 101p/lb average.