Factory prices remain at €3.60€3.65/kg despite the rising kill
The traditionally strong numbers at this time of year was even more pronounced last week ahead of the latest round of Covid restrictions. Panic selling, however, is not a factor. New Ross Mart manager Jim Bushe noted that while his sale on Saturday was very big, there was no anxious edge to the trade. “The numbers were huge and there was a definite feeling that something was coming, but there was no panic.”
Thomas Potterton of Delvin Mart also reported rising numbers that he suspected was down to Covid concerns. “There is no doubt that the farmers are worried about Covid and how that will affect the trade and some are probably buying ahead of themselves because of it,” he told me.
Despite the rising numbers, looking at the Ringside tables you will see that while heifer averages fell, bullock prices actually strengthened. There was a similar trend in the weanling trade.
Looking at the bullocks, the biggest overall increase in average prices happened among heavy and forward 600kg+ steers as their overall average rose 9c/kg to €2.03/kg. There are still reasonable numbers of these heavier types turning up at marts across the country, but their numbers are starting to wane.
Overall average prices in the 500599kg section rose by just 3c/kg last week settling on €1.98/kg, but demand for the better conformation animal at this weight saw the top quarter overall average gain 9c/ kg to €2.37/kg. This puts the better bullock onto €1,185-1,420/hd.
Prices in the 400-499kg section rose just 2c/kg to finish the week on an overall average of €1.91/kg driven by a 4c/kg increase in the value of the lesser animal to €1.53/kg.
Clout
Returning to the strong performance of those 600kg+ bullocks, Maurice Brosnan of Gortatlea Mart said: “The job has moved on, it’s all about numbers and the feedlots have the numbers, they have the clout, but they also need numbers. I can’t get my head around why you’d want to risk feed cattle when the mart trade is where it is for those good forward types,” he told me.
The other area that saw positive movement last week was the bull weanling.
While numbers are coming they appear slower this year, possibly because farmers have to work through the requirements to qualify for the BEEP scheme.
This limited supply, coupled with stronger demand because of concerns over possible Covid restrictions helped overall averages for the bull under 300kgs as he rose by up to €60/hd.