LMC: Higher Throughput Coincides With Average R3 Prices Rising 2p/kg
UK - Quotes from the plants for U-3 grade prime cattle this week were 374-378p/kg, back from the 378 382p/kg being quoted late last week. The plants have further reduced quotes for Monday to 372 374p/kg, write market analysts at the Livestock and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland.
1 July 2013
3 minute read
Deadweight Cattle Trade
It remains to be seen if all plants will secure supply at these reduced quotes. The quotes for good quality cowswere unchanged from previous weeks at 290-310p/kg.
Prime cattle throughput in the NI plants last week totalled 6,215 head, an increase of 363 head on the previous week with throughput for the year to date running 4.5 per cent ahead of the same period last year. A total of 1,540 cows were slaughtered in NI plants last week, an 11 per cent increase on the previous week when 1,386 cows were slaughtered.
Imports of prime cattle from ROI for direct slaughter last week totalled 416 head with 110 cows also imported. A total of 143 cattle were exported from NI to ROI for direct slaughter with 120 of these being cows.
Meanwhile, 203 prime cattle were exported to GB for direct slaughter last week taking the total for the year to date to 5,577 head. The average steer price in NI last week increased by 1p/kg to 382.5p/kg with the R3 steer price up 2p/kg to 391.1p/kg.
The R3 steer price in NI last week was fractionally higher than the average U3 price which was 390.4p/kg. This is likely to be due to reduced numbers of U3 steers being in spec and is also perhaps evidence of flat deals being done across the grades. The average heifer price in NI last week was back half a penny to 384.4p/kg with the R3 heifer price up 2p/kg to 390.6p/kg.
Average steer and heifer prices in GB last week increased in the region of 1p/kg to 401.8p/kg and 398.4p/kg respectively. The GB R4 steer price showed the strongest increase across the regions, up 2p/kg to 410p/kg with the R4 heifer price up 1.3p/kg to 402.2p/kg.
Average steer prices increased in all the GB regions in the region of 2p/kg with the exception of Southern England where prices were back 1.9p/kg to 382p/kg. Meanwhile average heifer prices increased by 1-2p/kg in the three English regions but were back by 1p/kg in Scotland to 408.9p/kg.
Prices in ROI last week were back slightly on the previous week with reports of an improvement in the supply of prime cattle. Last week’s kill in ROI was 27,791 head, 4,000 head more than in the corresponding week in 2012.
In sterling terms R3 steer and heifer priceswere back in the region of 1p/kg to 378.7p/kg and 399.5p/kg respectively.
This Weeks’ Marts
Finished first quality steers sold to an average of 220p/kg liveweight in the marts this week with second quality selling to an average of 195p/kg. Finished good quality heifers sold to an average of 225p/kg with second quality selling to an average of 200p/kg.
Good quality beef bred cows sold to a top price of 209p/kg (av 185p/kg)with second quality selling to an average of 147p/kg. Dairy bred cows sold from 85-143p/kg. A firm trade for forward store cattle saw 400-500kg bullocks sell to an average of 240p/kg with plainer animals in the same category selling to an average of 190p/kg.
Heifers over 450kg sold to an average of 211p/kg for good quality with plainer stock selling to an
average of 180p/kg.
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