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, but the pace of change has eased to an average gain of 1c/kg, with the price variation between processors for similar stock offering the best opportunity for gains by producers.

ALTHOUGH there has been a strong increase in the supply of cattle to the beef factories over the past week, the demand by processors is also holding very strong.

Marts: The upward trend in beef prices is continuing, adding a further 3c-4c/kg to the average being paid for stock by the factories.

Marts: While the upward trend in cattle prices was maintained at a third of the country’s factories last week with slight increases, 11 of the remaining factories reduced prices paid for stock by up to 2c/kg — the first reversal of the upward trend year to date.

Marts: Beef prices continued the upward trend, making gains of 1-3c/kg, while the rate of price increase eased at the factories for last week’s kill.

Marts: Factories paid 5c-7c/kg (2p/lb) more for cattle, under pressure to get sufficient stock last week, as producers held out for higher returns before parting with animals.

Marts: Heifer prices increased by an average of 4c/kg (1.3p/lb) at the factories over the past week.

Marts: The supply of bullocks to the factories increased to more than 20,000 head after the processors increased prices by up to 5c/kg (2p/lb) last week.

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: Four AIBP factories are among 10 plants countrywide which have increased prices by up to 3c/kg (1p/lb) as the intake at the factories tightens further.

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: The decline in average beef prices at the factories has almost bottomed out, as the intake of cattle shows the first signs of shrinking but the factories continued to pay a margin of up to 3c/kg (1p/lb) over the official quotes.

Marts: Although the factories continue to pay over the quoted prices for cattle, 6c/kg (2p/lb) has now been wiped off the average price in two weeks.

Marts: Producers with R grade cattle to sell are strongly resisting factory price cuts and processors are paying significantly more than the quoted prices for their supplies.

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.

A wide variation has opened up between individual factories on cow prices — up to 42c/kg (15p/lb).

The intake of bullocks dropped by 2,500 head after factories reduced prices by up to 6c/kg (2p/lb) last week with the heaviest losses in prices for the poorer graders.

Almost half of the factories paid less for R4L bullocks for last week's kill after a surge in supply to the highest weekly intake of bullocks in 2007 and the highest for the corresponding week since 2003.

THREE-MONTH analysis of the prices paid to farmers for beef animals shows that the margin of difference between factories for R4L bullocks was less than half of that for R4L heifers around the country.

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: 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.

Cow prices gained 4c/kg with up to 273c/kg being paid for R-grade cows.

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.

As prices continued unchanged last week, returns for the first five weeks of 2007 show a narrowing of the price range for beef animals at the factories to less than 6 cents/kg (2p/lb) dividing the highest and the lowest.

Marts: There was no change in mainstream average prices paid by the factories for cattle last week, but minor downward adjustments are showing at the top end of the market, which may be early signs of an indicator of a ceiling on returns being positioned by the processors.

Beef prices were cut by an average of 1-3c/kg at the factories as the supply of cattle to the processing plants remained high at over 40,000 head slaughtered 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: Beef prices gained 2c/kg at the factories last week, setting an autumn record of rising prices for eight consecutive weeks which brought the average R-grade price to almost 105p/lb.

HALF of the factories paid more for cattle last week (some increased by almost 3p/lb), while the balance paid the same or slightly less than the previous week as the kill surged to a three-year high.

The underlying trend in beef prices at the factories showed further weakening in farmer pay sheet returns last week, although producer resistance is limiting the scale of price decline.

Marts: While a few factories increased prices for R4L bullocks by almost 3 cents/kg (1p/lb), one-in-three factories paid lower returns or maintained the previous weeks level as processors reacted to the rising trend last week.

Marts: Continuation of the gradual rise in beef prices delivered a top return of 112p/lb for bullocks and heifers at the factories last week, while a new record of 102p/lb was paid for cows.

Marts: Kildare Chilling and Kepak (Watergrasshill) increased prices by an average of 1.5p/lb to top the improvements in prices paid for R4L bullocks last week to bring the averages at the individual plants to 109.6p/lb and 108.8p/lb respectively.

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.