This week’s factory quotes see a further 5c/kg taken off the price offering for cattle at most beef processing outlets.
Some factories had reduced their price quote by 5c/kg for the second half of last week, and it seems this price reduction has set in with an additional 5c/kg price cut in place for this week.
The price cuts appear to have been applied to both heifers and steers as well as bulls with price quotes for cows appearing to have avoided the price cuts.
Factory quotes: Heifers and steers
Heifers are being quoted at €5.15/kg on the grid this week in general while steers are being quoted at €5.10/kg on the grid.
On the higher end of the price scale, €5.15 and €5.20/kg is being quoted for steers and heifers at some outlets with a 10c/kg bonus for eligible cattle with carcass weights ranging from 300-400kg.
This leaves €5.25 and €5.30/kg on the grid still available for steers and heifers respectively, at the higher end of the price scale.
The move to reduce the price quotes for prime cattle comes as supplies of finished heifers and steers have been forecast to become significantly tighter towards the end of this month.
Cows
Cow price has avoided the drop in prime cattle price quotes at some outlets this week, with up to €4.90/kg still being quoted for U grade cows.
€4.80/kg is still being quoted for R grade cows, with €4.45 and €4.55/kg being quoted for P and O grade cows respectively.
There remains a significant variation in the prices paid for cows between outlets and depending on the quality and grade of cows presented for slaughter.
Eg, a cow with a carcass weight above 270kg and a fat score of 2+ or above and below 4+ will be priced differently than a short-fleshed cow with a lighter carcass weight.
Bulls
Under 24-month bulls are being quoted at €4.30-4.40/kg for U grade bulls, with €4.20-4.30/kg being quoted for R grades.
O grade bulls are being quoted at €5.00-5.10/kg and P grade bulls are being quoted at €4.90-5.00/kg.
Under-16-month bulls are being quoted at €5.05/kg on the grid.
