Last week’s kill of 36,667 was 839 ahead of the previous week and 3,407 ahead of the equivalent week last year. Factory prices yesterday morning saw no negative effect, with the base prices of...
The factory trade continues to be difficult with the numbers game remaining the main stumbling block. Last week's overall factory kill was 35,828, up significantly on the 32,974 from the same week...
In contrast to the cattle factory trade, the early weeks of 2019 have seen the fortunes of those with sheep to sell improve, with quotes on our table below better this week by 5-10c/kg.
In the last 10 months three major marts have ceased trading. Added to the loss of Castleblayney and Carrick-on-Suir marts in 2018, last week's closure of Mountrath had some in the business...
Before getting into the nitty gritty of factory prices, a word about an issue that has periodically dogged relations between farmers and factories.
Factory prices for steers and heifers yet again remained static yesterday at bases of €3.75/kg and €3.85/kg respectively, and with last week’s kill settling at 40,090 you can see why.
The trade rode the wave of stronger factory demand for the first half of last week, with reports that up to €5.20/kg was paid in places.
Mullinalaghta from Longford defied the odds to win the Leinster club senior football final, and the mart trade also defied the odds last week.
Average slaughter weights for most cattle are well back this year compared to 2017, confirming the growing impact of increased dairy numbers on the beef sector.
Despite the feeling that the mart trade is starting to wind down for 2018, a number of marts are seeing a mini-surge in buyer numbers.
Prices remain fixed to the floor. Factory base prices for bullocks yesterday continued at €3.75/kg, with the equivalent on the heifer side being €3.85/kg.
The factory trade showed some signs of improvement yesterday as Kepak Athleague moved their quote for lamb upwards by 5c/kg to €470+5c/kg QA (quality assurance).
Factories have slashed cow prices, with quotes back as much as 30c/kg over the last fortnight - or around €80/hd.
It was a case of stagnation once again on beef prices at the mart last week.
Another week has slipped by with prices for steers continuing to remain static at €3.75/kg and heifers on €3.85/kg among the majority of factories.
While this is a new year, base prices for bullocks and heifers have remained exactly as they were in my last report before Christmas, ie €3.75/kg for steers with heifers 10c/kg better at €3.85/kg.
THE beef sector is at crisis point due to the continuing slump in factory prices and the threat of a no-deal Brexit, farm leaders are warning.
“Prices continue their upward trajectory this week. Bullocks moved up to bases of €3.95-4.00/kg, with heifers reported as selling from €4.05-4.10/kg, with €4.15 being paid on special orders.”
This week's report reads a bit like a game of two halves. Firstly the mart trade came under pressure last week, leading to lambs being easier by €3-5/hd in many places as strong supplies overloaded the system.
On these pages from week to week I deal in figures. Figures derived from the actual sales sheets of many marts across the country.
"As is the general rule of thumb, the livestock trade is dictated by supply and demand. With numbers of sheep on offer remaining small, prices have lifted in response, resulting in many buyers not being able to fill their orders."
Factory prices are still being pressurised by high numbers presenting: last week's figure was 39,961.
I reckon you need a master's degree in marketing to understand what factory procurement officers are telling you about the retail sheep meat market.
I shared a conversation with a mart manager over the weekend which probably encapsulates how many in the beef trade now see the end of 2018.
The chances of a pre-Christmas bounce in beef prices evaporated this week, with the factories continuing to face a flood of cattle.
Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has denied that a total revamp of the beef grid or QPS was being considered, but the processor representative body accepted that some changes to the cattle payment system were needed.
They say no news is good news, except, I expect, when you’re expecting news. Two months ago as factory kill numbers started to climb, few could have foreseen the current reality that as we head into November weekly average kill numbers over the last two months have remained stubbornly over 38,600.
Prices for both bullocks and heifers fell back across a majority of weight categories in a meaningful way for the first time in over a month.
Once again there was no movement on the price of either lambs or cull ewes this week.
Beef prices have hardened by €20-€40/hd over the last week on the back of stronger demand in the British market and increased factory bite for stock.
Six weeks ago, Maurice Brosnan of Gortatlea Mart was calming concerns over potential fodder shortages in these pages, saying: "Farmers were putting cattle into sheds on September 1 last year - this year we have six weeks grass in front of us."
Factory prices continue to remain at a standstill this week, pretty much like the traffic around the Dawn plant in Ballyhaunis yesterday morning.
Last week the factories appeared to have plugged the holes in their price quotes that kept putting downward pressure on prices.
The IFA had spent the weeks leading up to last Wednesdays' Beef Forum meeting criticising the factories on prices.
I referred to the sheep trade as being like Noah's Ark last week, but an ark that had sprung a leak as regards prices. I am happy to report that factories seemed to have plugged, at least temporarily, those leaks. However, the boat is now riding very low in the water from the farmer's point of view.
Last week numbers rebounded somewhat, but the overall effect on prices was relatively muted.
Reports from across the country last weekend indicated that factory prices for beef had stabilised.
If the sheep trade was Noah's Ark, those who might occupy the below-decks spaces would be well justified in complaining over the last month that the "bloody boat" is leaking.
A major drive by Teagasc to expand the contract-rearing of dairy stock in the north-west could help alleviate fodder pressures on holdings in the south and east.
The Ploughing dominated farming affairs last week. Did this year's Ploughing affect the cattle trade as it has done in the past? In a word, yes. Although marts in the extreme west appeared less affected.
The question among those in the know on the ground yesterday was whether the trade was on the point of steadying up.
Beef factories and the IFA are on a collision course after processors have again moved to cut prices ahead of what they predict will be a very difficult autumn and winter for the sector.
It's the week of the Ploughing and with the factories dropping their prices for both lamb and cull ewes by 5-10c/kg, the obvious pun is that processors continue to plough down sheep prices.
Traditionally Ploughing week can see cattle numbers easing back slightly. However, with the kill a fortnight ago running at almost 38,000hd, any fall-off would have to be pretty dramatic to make an immediate impression.
As mart prices tumbled over the last six weeks everyone associated with the business has wondered where the bottom might be.
LAST week we reported on the factories’ push on prices — for those of you with stock to sell you known that situation still prevails.
The message from the latest ringside figures is that the trade remains under pressure. The tables below show that every section on both the bullock and heifer table fell, bar the poorer-quality 600kg+ heifer.
My wife's niece and her London-born husband came for dinner on Sunday, and while the various family dramas were discussed, myself and the Englishman settled in after the meal to watch the All Ireland football final.
Figures, like facts, are funny things: taken out of context you can get the wrong message.
Last weekend saw a televised festival of faith as Pope Francis arrived. There was great fanfare and spectacle. You couldn't but be moved by the singing and the outpouring of emotion.
All factory lamb quotes were back 10-15c/kg this week, with ewes also back 10c/kg at some plants.
Many beef farmers have decided against finishing cattle this winter and are opting to sell their valuable fodder stocks instead.
My first job this Tuesday morning is to extend my congratulations to my mother's county, Limerick on Sunday's All Ireland success.
The factory assault on sheep prices resumed this week. Factory quotes for lamb this week range from €4.80/kg to €4.90/kg, before bonus payments, which is from 5-10c/kg less than last week. Quotes for cull ewes remain unchanged at all plants except the two ICM's which clipped their quote by 10c/kg.
The Ringside figures from last week appear to show a mart trade for bullocks that had weakened slightly with overall average losses of between 2-4c/kg.
Last week saw the mart trade continue the recovery in prices that began two weeks ago. All average prices on both the bullock and heifer tables are up, and some of them quite significantly.
The short version of this week's sheep price report is no news is good news, meaning there was no movement either up or down on factory quotes yesterday morning.
THERE are signs of positive movement in the factory this week.
Stability seems to be returning to the trade and prices appear to have steadied at last. Bullock quotes range from €3.85-3.90/kg, with heifers on €3.95-4.00/kg.
The factories have started to pursue supplies to fill contracts associated with the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival which starts on August 21.
The sheep farmers of Ireland truly are a different breed. Not unlike the Limerick hurlers against Cork on Sunday, they have made a huge turnaround. They have succeeded over the weekend where their cattle farming cousins have failed.
It would be really nice if I could tie the classic hurling that was played over the weekend to some positive comments about the direction of factory cattle prices - but I can't.
Farmers have been forced to sell shares and equities as a result of the crippling cost of the current fodder crisis.
Figures supplied by the factories to the Department of Agriculture for last week show the overall kill to be 36,373. Interestingly, however, they also reveal that average cull cow prices, while reduced, are far from the disaster portrayed by some.
The best that can be said about factory lamb prices this week is that not all factories chose to reduce their official quotes.
I had a conversation last weekend with a chef in a city hotel which told me a lot about how non-farming people can perceive issues in the farming sector.
FARM leaders are again questioning the commitment of sheep processors to the sector.
Fear of what may lie ahead as regards the continuing drought and fodder shortages is beginning to stalk the thinking of the farming community. The effects of this fear became evident at marts last week where some with cattle to sell appeared to heave a sigh of relief as the hammer finally fell.
The pressure on factory cattle prices continues to mount. Figures from Bord Bia show that at 9,038 for the week ending June 30, the number of cull cows going into the food chain are up almost 20pc on the same week in 2017.
ICSA sheep chair John Brooks was in top form yesterday with some barbed comments directed at the processing sector as he discussed falling sheep prices.
While sheep prices are not exactly melting like an unguarded ice cream in the sun, yesterday morning saw factories again turn up the heat on prices.
Cattle prices have taken a serious hit in the marts and factories this week as farmers with parched fields and tight grass supplies continue to offload stock.
My local postman is about to discover what happens when things fall from a height. He is doing a charity parachute jump for the wheelchair association. A fair feat of bravery in any circumstances, but even more so in this case as this man has never actually been in a plane.
The general consensus among factory buyers yesterday was that "numbers are coming away steadily". Unfortunately, quoted prices for lamb yesterday were not steady; this week's cut is from 10-20c/kg.
Large numbers of cattle are being offloaded and farmers are back feeding stock as the scorching heat has burned off grass growth.
Beef farmers are set for a World Cup bounce, with the IFA predicting a stronger trade for manufacturing beef in Britain as the festival of football gathers pace in Russia.
At the start of June, general quotes for bullocks ran from €4.20/kg to €4.30/kg, while heifers were trading at €4.25-4.35/kg.
I spoke to one sheep factory representative yesterday and after our conversation on the trade concluded, I asked if he was he watching the World Cup. "No," he replied, "hurling is my thing, and more so since we're sailing the top of a wave down here with Davy Fitzgerald."
Five points up with just 10 minutes remaining Tipperary hurlers thought they had it in the bag on Sunday, but Clare had other ideas and by the time the final whistle blew in Thurles the Banner had beaten the 2016 All-Ireland champions.
After almost a month of constant price pressure during which lamb fell by up to €1.20/kg or €24.60/kg on a 20.5kg carcase, yesterday morning saw factory prices recover slightly.
Last week's trade returned to a more confident footing as the good weather lessened numbers in some places, resulting in more competition at ringside.
Ahead of yesterday's Waterford versus Tipperary championship match the expectation was that the Déise could expect a very thorough examination from the Premier County.
For the third week in a row factories pulled back their opening bids for spring lamb, this time by 30-40c/kg. Overall quotes for lamb have now fallen by a cumulative figure of between 90-120c/kg in three weeks.
Last weekend saw a plethora of inter-county hurling matches played around the country. What a lot of them had in common was that the media experts correctly called the result in advance.
When any event happens, the reason behind it is always open to scrutiny and interpretation.
When goalkeeper Loris Karius, who had a nightmare in the Champions League final on Saturday, is offloaded by Liverpool, I suspect our sheep factories might queue up to sign him. When it comes to dropping things, they are made for each other.
Early this week saw all factories attempt to crunch spring lamb prices as they dropped their official quotes by 10-20c/kg. The short story is that lamb is now being quoted at €6.60-6.80/kg, while Dawn and the two ICM plants are the only plants officially quoting for hoggets.
This week saw all factories attempt to crunch spring lamb prices as they dropped their official quotes by 10-20c/kg.
We were an odd bunch watching the royal wedding in my kitchen. Myself -the farmer with little in the way of royal leanings; my wife, the unabashed royalist and lover of weddings in general; my vet, a German with strong views on matters military.
In the ongoing cattle game between factories and farmers, it has become obvious even to the most casual observer that things have ratcheted up several gears over the last couple of weeks.
Broadly speaking, prices for hogget, spring lambs and cull ewes remain fixed at last week's levels.
With the weather improving, cattle marts last week saw a continuation of strong numbers and strong prices for good cattle.
Around the turn of the year, I heard that some factory bosses had instructed their agents to find out what cattle their clients had in sheds.
The export trade is starting to pick up with shippers again showing interest in bull weanlings under 10 months up to 350kg says Glen Cooper of Mountrath Mart.
There are two very distinct camps this week when it comes sheep price prospects. On the one side you have the IFA and ICSA, both of whom claim the trade is strong and will get stronger as we approach the Islamic festival of Ramadan.
There have been some attempts by factories to undermine farmer confidence in the market place.
"It's hard to get a handle on it, but they're not any less". That brief summary of where factory beef prices were at yesterday morning was given to me by a factory agent, who occasionally has a foot in more than one plant.
Ivan Moffitt of Manorhamilton mart rates sheep as "the only job at the moment". The statement is backed up by the fact that, despite poor weather, for the second week in a row sheep farmers are walking on sunshine as factory quotes for hogget jumped another 20-25c/kg over the weekend.
The red-hot trade for hoggets and lamb could last until mid-summer.
Manchester City secured their third premier league title in seven seasons on Sunday with five games still to play.
Weather and grass considerations continue to affect the mart trade as those with stock to sell appear to be holding back on numbers thus far.
The factory sheep trade pushed into further positive territory this week as hogget price increased by as much as 25c/kg. All the factories quoted a minimum of €6.00/kg for hogget, while Kildare Chilling moved to €6.10+10c/kg bonus, just ahead of both Dawn Ballyhaunis and Kepak Athleague, who are on €6.05/kg + 5c/kg bonus.
While there was no general forward movement on prices over the week, some with market-specific stock succeeded over the weekend in pushing the price boundaries.
WE have just come out of the third consecutive short working week for processors. It is a factor that had many speculating that factories would use those lost working days to help them manage available numbers.
There's a story in Irish folklore about an old, brown-striped cow that boasted that the harsh weather of March could not kill her. March took exception to this claim and, borrowing three days from April, renewed the assault with added fury. Savage rain, hail, snow gales and cold poured down on the boastful cow.
This week's price table, shows no change for hogget prices from last week although the ICM group, which controls over 40pc of the national sheep kill, do lift their quote for cull ewes by 10c/kg to €3.00/kg. Is this a sign of an improving market?
There are times in every football match when you have to concede the ball to the opposition. That's when the strength of your defence is tested.
The traditional trade at this time of year is driven by buyers who, having gauged early grass growth, set about buying stock in advance based on the results.
The current situation on the factory side of the business is that over the last month factory bosses have been a bit like the English pack at Twickenham - when it's not going your way collapse the scrum.
Readers of a certain age may remember the ad for Guinness Light, a product that was one of the most infamous flops in drinks' industry history.
QUESTION marks are being raised over whether 'panic buying' is causing a ringside surge.
WITH the Cheltenham Gold Cup imminent I was hoping to use a racing analogy this week to add a bit of colour to the factory report.
SHEEP prices at the factory gate picked up considerable speed over the past week.
A week is a long time in the cattle trade.
