CAM Thainstone.
The deadweight cattle price hasn’t moved this week and still sits at £3.68 to £3.75/kg for R grade cattle. This is up by around £160/head on this time last year.
The official Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) price for R grading steers for the week ending 12 December was £3.80/kg, down 9p/kg on the week. Same-grade heifers fell 7p/kg to £3.82/kg and young bulls were down 8p/kg to £3.63/kg.
Finished cows were reported by the AHDB at £2.41/kg for an 0-4, which is up 4/kg.
Breeding cow numbers
According to AHDB figures up until May of this year, UK cow slaughter had been running below that of 2019. During June, numbers jumped by 17% year on year, bringing the year-to-date total close to the level of slaughter at the same point in 2019.