Steer trade solid but the heifers take a wallop
THE message from mart managers I spoke to over the weekend was that trade is “firm” or “firm to maybe improved”.
It is a message echoed very clearly in the Ringside steer table where all weight divisions showed some improvement. The story isn’t as rosy in the heifer section where the significant gains of two weeks ago largely evaporated last week as suspicions rose around the possibility of negative news on the factory front.
While that speculation has as yet to be fully confirmed, it did appear as of yesterday morning that factories were intent on pulling beef by 5c/ kg. As it is St Valentine’s Day, however, let us start with the good news.
The fondness farmers have for smaller well-shaped stock is manifest in the improved figures from last week for the 300-399kg bullock.
Prices were up 11c/kg on average, or from €33-44/hd, with better ones up 17c/kg or €51-68/hd.Marts such as Gortatlea in Kerry reported very strong demand from buyers for lighter better quality animals be they bulls or bullocks.
The remaining weight divisions, from 400-499kgs and 500-599kgs, recorded modest average gains last week of 2c/kg or from €8-12/hd which is the basis of mart mangers saying the trade was firm to improved
The 600kg+ bullock didn’t fare as well loosing 2c/kg on average.
However, the numbers of truly heavy cattle at marts has remained small to date and has resulted in their price being insulated from factory volatility.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the heifers whose prices have yoyoed wildly over the last three weeks.
Prices got walloped last week, with average losses of 5c/kg or €20-€30/hd in the 400-599kg sections. The lighter 350-399kg animals are totally in the doghouse and loosing an average of 21c/kg or €73-84/hd.
Weanlings
The heavy 600kg+ stock also had some of the shine knocked off them with their prices falling back 8c/kg or €48/hd on average
Weanling prices also took a hit last week. Bulls fell an average of 15c/kg in the 100-299kg division, with the 300-399kg animal back 12c/ kg. The poorer quality animal was down by 20-21/ckg, that works out at €20-84/hd.
On a more positive note some marts told me that there was renewed interest in heavier bulls.
The market for the better quality lighter 100-299kg heifer was improved by 7c/kg or €7-21/hd last week as shippers moved to fill orders for the Turkish market.