LMC: Quotes Similar to Last Week at 336p/kg
UK - Quotes from the plants this week for U-3 grade prime cattle have been similar to previous weeks with 334-336p/kg being quoted for steers and 336p/kg for heifers, according to Livestock and Meat Commission Northern Ireland.
12 February 2013
2 minute read
Quotes for cows have
remained within the range of 265-285p/kg. There have been reports
of factory agents insisting that all cattle they are purchasing are Farm
Quality Assured and as a result there has been a notable increase in
applications to the NIBL FQAS scheme over the last number of weeks.
Prime cattle throughput last week totalled 7,114 head, an increase of
340 head on the previous week and similar to throughput in the
corresponding week last year. With the increasing value of the euro
against sterling and rising finished cattle prices in ROI imports of prime
cattle for direct slaughter in NI have declined. Last week 322 prime
cattle were imported accounting for 4.5 per cent of the total prime kill.
Average steer prices in NI last week were almost unchanged at
333.1p/kg while average heifer prices were up almost 1p/kg to
338.5p/kg. Meanwhile in GB average steer and heifer prices were
within a fraction of a penny of the previous week at 365.5p/kg and
362.4p/kg respectively.
A similar trend can be observed across the
majority of the UK regions with average steer and heifer prices in
Scotland, Northern England and the Midlands generally within 1p/kg
of the previous week. In Southern England average steer prices were
up 2.5p/kg to 356.4p/kg while average heifer prices were back
1.7p/kg to 350.5p/kg.
The average R4 steer price in GB last week was back 0.6p/kg to
372.1p/kg while in NI the R4 steer price was back 2.2p/kg to
336.4p/kg. Meanwhile the R4 heifer price in GB was back 1.1p/kg to
366.7p/kg while it increased marginally in NI to 341.7p/kg.
Prices in ROI have remained fairly steady in euro terms with prices
within 1c/kg of the previous week for the majority of grades reported.
However the strengthening of euro against sterling has meant prices
have increased in sterling terms for all reported grades.
In sterling
terms the R4 steer price was up 4.9p/kg to 344.7p/kg while the R4
heifer price was up 5.8p/kg to 360p/kg. These prices are 8.3p/kg and
18.3p/kg higher respectively than the corresponding NI price.
Liveweight Cattle Trade
Finished first quality steers sold to an average of 203p/kg this
week compared to 199p/kg last week while finished first quality
heifers sold to 203p/kg compared to 196p/kg last week.
The
strong trade for cull cows continued with well fleshed continental type
cows selling to a top of 199p/kg (average 175p/kg).
The trade for good
quality dairy origin cows was similar to last week, selling to 125p/kg.
A strong trade for store cattle this week saw good quality bullocks up
to 400kg sell to 210p/kg (+15p/kg) while first quality heifers up to
450kg sold to 195p/kg (+5p/kg).
TheCattleSite News Desk
