Photo: Donal O Leary
The beef trade has remained steady, with last week’s official Department of Agriculture prices showing increases across the board.
The ABG system is the average of the base grades on the EUROP pricing grid.
Each week, factories are ranked based on the average of the reported prices paid for the QPS base grades in the particular week of trading (ie animals grading R= and R- on conformation and from 2+ to 4= on fat score).
Prices include the 12c/kg bonus and the 20c/kg bonus in-spec quality assurance paid on eligible animals and/or any other bonuses.
Prime cattle remain in firm demand, with most quotes remaining unchanged for this week.
Heifers are generally working off €4.15/kg to €4.20/kg. The higher quotes of €4.20/kg are still being paid to the bigger suppliers.
Some western-based factories have tried to pull quotes, but have been unsuccessful in doing so.
Bullocks also remain in firm demand, with quotes around the €4.10/kg mark.
Higher quotes of €4.15/kg have also been paid in the last week for larger loads of cattle to more regular suppliers.
Sweetener
Haulage continues to be added in as a sweetener to get deals over the line, especially where Aberdeen Angus or Hereford cattle are involved.
SHARING OPTIONS:
Episode four of theTullamore Farm webinar series takes place on Tuesday at 8.30pm live on www.ifj.ie/webinar.
The final episode in the Tullamore Farm webinar series takes place on Tuesday night at 8.30pm.
Tuesday s programme will focus on the 2020 financial performance and the next steps for the farm.
This is currently the fifth year of a 15-year lease taken out on the farm.
Unique
The farm is quite unique in that it has no single farm payment, while also having to pay a full land charge and full labour charge.
The farm is also paying back over €20,000 annually in interest on borrowed money.
SHARING OPTIONS:
In order to compensate farmers for the reduced performance of steers over bulls, a beef price in excess of €4.45/kg would be required.
Both national and international research looking at bulls versus steers would all concur that when managed similarly in terms of diet and slaughtered at the same age, bulls will have a:
Higher daily liveweight gain (8% to 10%).
Heavier carcase weight (10% to 15%).
Better feed conversion efficiency (10% to 15%).
Higher lean meat yield (20%).
Higher conformation score and lower carcase fat scores.
From 2010 through to 2015, there was extensive research carried out in Teagasc Grange on suckler-bred bull-beef systems.
One such study compared bulls and steers. These animals were purchased as weanlings in autumn and half were castrated prior to the start of the study.
Strong sheepmeat prices continue in Europe. \ Houston Green
Global prices remain steady this week for both beef and sheepmeat, with Irish beef prices being one of the more notable movers up to €4.04/kg for R3 steers.
This is significantly ahead of the EU average of €3.77/kg for R3 young bulls, but dramatically behind Britain, where average R3 prices have steadied at €4.72/kg equivalent.
The Northern Irish price of €4.48/kg is now noticeably behind the price in Britain, though well ahead of the Irish price.
In global markets, Brazil is a contradiction, because while prices have eased slightly in their own currency, because the real has increased in value against the euro, it means their price has increased to €3.15/kg when converted.