Beef Trade Steadies
IRELAND - Livestock Price Coordinator for the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), John Cleary, has said that there has been no significant move in beef prices this week but a surge in demand from the manufacturing trade has meant a growth in the cow trade which in turn leads to a strengthening of the overall beef trade.
22 February 2012
2 minute read
For a good mix of steers, the base price being quoted is €3.90 – 4.00/kg, no increase from last week and again the upper end quotes of €4/kg are more difficult to achieve as has been the case for a couple of weeks now.
Factories are quoting €4- €4.10/kg for heifers, again no change from last week’s quotes. For a mix of U and R grade bulls, the base price is also €3.95 - €4.00/kg, a slight fall in the upper end quotes. Cows continue to the light the way for the beef trade at present. Quotes for cows are €3.25/kg - €3.70/kg which is no change from last week but reports are that the strong cow trade is set to continue with demand for low end cuts of meat for the manufacturing trade increasing.
Commenting on this week’s trade, Mr Cleary said: “It’s a similar enough story to last week, bulls, heifers and steers are all very solid but cows again appear to be the real winners. While there hasn’t be a significant move in the quotes being offered for cows the word on the ground is that the manufacturing trade has been crying out for low end cuts of meat that you get from the cows.
"There has been a huge demand for minced meat and meat of that nature that has meant the cow trade continues to do very well. This has come from the consumer budgeting and choosing minced meat over a more premium product like a steak meat. It’s good news for the farmer and should keep the cow trade positive for the foreseeable.”
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