It’s heavy weather for top bullocks

TWO weeks ago the mart system was affected by a combination of the very warm weather, poor grass growth and panic selling by an overstocked dairy sector. The result was that poorer quality bullocks between 400-599kg got hammered by between 13-15c/kg or €52-90/hd.

At the same time it was very noticeable that the top quarter bullock in at these weights got off far more lightly, losing between 3-4c/kg or €12-24/hd.

That was two weeks ago, last week the roles reversed with the better bullock getting roasted and the lesser animal, while still falling back in price, doing so at a far reduced rate.

Last week, the better bullock in the 400-499kg section lost 12c/kg, while his 500599kg comrade came back 14c/kg — that’s a price fall of between €48-84/hd. The lesser conformation animal, while also suffering last week, it only fell by 2-6c/kg.

What is even more noticeable is that the higher losses last week, €36/hd among the poorer animals and €84/hd for the better ones, all came in the 500-599kg forward store section.

That forward store animal was the animal that, more than any other this year, kept the mart trade afloat, especially during the very prolonged winter.

Now with fodder scarce and grass under pressure, he’s the one taking the biggest hit.

The reality is that in two weeks, the ringside figures show that the value of your 400-599kg bullock, regardless of quality, has come back €100/hd. Once the poorer quality animal had taken a hit two weeks ago, and with no foreseeable rain to encourage grass growth, the market last week also adjusted the better bullock downwards.

Returning to the Ringside table, and looking at the 600kg+ bullock last week, saw him fall a further 5c/kg on average.

Worse still from the point of view of those who produce the better type bullock is that their better animal is back 14c/kg in two weeks which is €84/hd.

While these price falls do mirror similar losses in the lower weight divisions, recent factory instability in relation to price hasn’t helped the heavier bullock — or heifer for that matter.

Many questions

The questions everyone in the cattle game are asking are: What will happen if drought conditions continue?

Will this current price slide be reversed if meaningful amounts of rain arrive? How long then before grass growth and consumption come back into balance?

Will it be possible in the months remaining of this year’s growing season to bring grass growth and consumption into balance?

Or is it already too late to plan without the subvention of expensive meals?

There are a lot of questions, but not many answers.