Continentals drive rise in mart prices

THE late spring/early summer 2018 surge in mart prices for bullocks and weanlings continued last week. Ringside returns show that on the bullock side, all averages were improved with the 400-499kg weight division the top performer.

Overall, averages here gained 11c/kg with the top quarter gaining 12c/kg while the lesser animal at this weight put on 5c/ kg. The next best performance came in the 500-599kg section where overall averages lifted 5c/kg last week, with both the top and lower quarters gaining 7c/kg each.

In short, your 400-499kg bullock rose between €44-55/hd last week, while the 500-599kg steer gained €25-30/hd.

All of this is pretty standard fare given the time of year; farmers expect mart prices to go up on the back of that demand. However, looking at how the prices for the different breeds are faring year-on-year can be quite interesting.

As of last week, the continental bullock in the 400499kg section averaged €2.51/ kg verses €2.37/kg for this time last year, that’s €1,004-1,252/hd verses €948-1,182, a price gap of €56-70/hd.

Compare these figures to those of the average Friesian at this weight. This time last year, he averaged €1.73/kg, whereas last week he averaged €1.76/kg. Simply put, he’s up a very modest 3c/kg or from €12-15/hd.

It’s a similar story among the Aberdeen Angus and Herefords, with a comparison of overall average prices in the 400-499kg section showing them to be only improved by 4c/kg or €16-20/ hd year-on-year; €2.09/kg this time last year versus €2.13/kg last week.

In other words, the likes of your Charolais, Limousin or Belgian Blue are the ones doing the heavy lifting in the 400-499kg section.

In the 500-599kg section, average prices for continentals last week reached €2.42/kg, which is 12c/kg or from €6072/hd better than this time last year.

Among the Friesians at this weight, conformation or cover must be better overall than their lighter counterparts in the 400-499kg division because last week’s overall average price of €1.94/kg is 11c/kg better than this week last year. In other words, Friesian average prices, while 48c/kg behind those of their continental cousins last week, were almost keeping in step when it came to weekly average price movements.

My point is that with demand strong for stock from the factories and the latest figures from Bord Bia showing that food exports to the UK were up over €100m in the first three months of this year — beef accounting for almost €27m — Friesians in the 400-499kg section must not have a lot to recommend them.

I’m not being hard on them, just realistic. There was a time when the number of P grade cattle going through our factories was fairly constant at 7-8pc, today you can realistically expect that figure to be around 20pc.

I’m not going to get into the suckler debate except to say sucklers cannot of themselves save the beef industry. I grew up on a farm where a field of good Friesian, Angus or Hereford bullocks was a source of true pride.

Has extreme dairy crossing over the last few years damaged that tradition?