Marts: Beef prices have experienced the largest cut in returns in the year to date with up to 10c/kg (4p/lb) wiped off returns to producers who supplied stock to the factories in the past week.

THE trade for beef remained very firm at the factories this week, retaining the recent recovery in prices, and adding a little more in some situations, as the supply of cattle slipped well behind this time last year.

Marts: Stronger prices at the top of the market — for both bullocks and heifers — is the positive side of the factory returns for last week kill which provides ground for optimism by producers that the worst of the recent decline is over.