Factory quotes: Up to 10c/kg added to base price this week
This week's factory quotes have seen some processors move their base price quote for prime cattle up by as much as 10c/kg.
Large weekly kills of cattle are continuing with last week's supply understood to be north of 41,000 head.
Despite the large weekly factory cattle supply, most procurement staff will admit there is no deluges of fit cattle coming available and many procurement staff are still filling bookings for this week.
In late October of previous years, procurement managers would often have kill sheets filled for over a week in advance.
This week, most outlets have moved their steer (bullock) quotes to €5.10/kg on the grid and their heifer price quotes have moved on to €5.15/kg on the grid. Some outlets have started the week off at 5c/kg below this level.
At the higher-end of the price scale, €5.15 and €5.20/kg base price is being quoted for steers and heifers respectively.
A 10c/kg weight bonus for eligible steers and heifers with carcass weights ranging from 300-400kg is available from at least one Co. Donegal outlet leaving €5.25/kg and €5.30/kg on the grid available here for steers and heifers.
There has not been much movement at the top end of cow price quotes this week, but some of the lower-paying outlets have moved up their price offerings this week.
The table below details the weighted average prices paid for cows in c/kg including VAT for the week ending Sunday, October 13:
| Fat score | E | U | R | O | P | Weighted Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 510 | 466 | 418 | 318 | 326 | |
| 2 | 530 | 507 | 488 | 457 | 415 | 430 |
| 3 | 521 | 509 | 491 | 461 | 442 | 460 |
| 4 | 530 | 501 | 488 | 459 | 447 | 467 |
| 5 | 505 | 484 | 457 | 453 | 474 | |
| Weighted average | 524 | 507 | 488 | 459 | 399 | 433 |
U grade cows are being quoted at €5.00-5.10/kg with €4.80-4.90 being quoted for R grade cows.
O grade cows are being quoted at €4.50/kg and €4.40/kg is being quoted for P grade cows.
Price quotes for under-24-month bulls have increased this week with U grade bulls being quoted at €5.30-5.35/kg and €5.20-5.25/kg being quoted for R grade bulls.
O grade bulls are being quoted at €5.10/kg and P grade bulls are being quoted at €5.00/kg.
Under-16-month bulls are being quoted at €5.05-5.10/kg on the grid.
Some farmers are managing to secure higher price rates from factories for bulls in cases where pens of well-finished bulls are presented.
