The beef trade remains in a very steady position this week, with agents still actively looking for finished cattle.

Talk of delays in getting cattle killed last week in some locations hasn’t materialised, with processors taking cattle as soon as they are available.

Most plants are working off a €7.50/kg base price for bullocks, with €7.60/kg base price being paid for heifers.

Flat deals of €8.00/kg to €8.10/kg are still available for in-spec Aberdeen Angus bullocks and heifers.

Cows

U grading cows continue to work off a quote of €7.50/kg, with more going to those with numbers.

R grading cows are generally trading at €7.30/kg to €7.40/kg, while O grading cows are coming in around €7.00/kg to €7.20/kg.

There is a big range in quotes for P grading cows, with those with numbers able to bargain more and up to €7.00/kg to €7.10/kg being paid where numbers are involved.

Fleshed cows are still making big money in marts, with a lot of farmers with small numbers of cows to sell now choosing the mart option.

Bulls

Bulls are also in demand, with up to €7.80/kg still available at the top end for U grading bulls, working back to €7.40/kg to €7.50/kg for O grading bulls.

Again, larger feeders have been able to hammer out better deals, with €7.90/kg being paid to a few large bull finishers this week for a mix of under-24-month R and U grading heavy bulls.

Under-16-month bulls are working off a €7.50/kg base, with a little more going where there are numbers involved. This means U= grading bulls are hitting €7.80/kg when grading and 12c/kg in-spec bonus is added.

There remains some pressure on the market north of the border, with NI quotes back another 5p this week.