Bullock prices slide by up to €36/hd

PRICES for both bullocks and heifers fell back across a majority of weight categories in a meaningful way for the first time in over a month.

After a month of little real variation, apart from a few cents per kg this way or that, last week saw average prices on the bullock side dip by between €12/hd (as in the case of the overall average price of the 600kg+) and €36/hd (in the case of the top quarter of the 400-499kg).

While it would be easy to say that added numbers depressed the trade, the reality is that it appears the appetite for stock has become more measured.

I commented last week that the arrival of the 70pc advance of the Single Farm Payment appeared to have had little impact on the trade, and for that week to be followed by a week when mart cattle prices actually dipped indicates that something other than added numbers is weighing on the trade.

Is it that with factory kill numbers averaging over 38,500 for the last eight weeks and factory prices having done well to hold at €3.75/kg for bullocks and €3.85/kg for heifers, those with cattle to buy are once again choosing to be cautious?

It is, of course. When factory kill figures began to head seriously upwards two months ago, many of those I spoke to at that time were confident that if the kill stayed above 37,000hd for four to five weeks the back of this autumn’s numbers would surely be broken.

That hasn’t happened, leading to the expected rise in factory prices also not happening.

Over the course of the last week I’ve spoken to a mix of finishers — some buy stores in the autumn