IFA met with senior management in Irish Country Meats in Camolin, Co Wexford this week and demanded the factories stabilise and restore lamb prices and stop undermining the market with...
Factory prices appeared to have stabilised after their recent resurgence. Yesterday I could find no agent willing to push beyond €4.00/kg for bullocks and €4.10/kg for heifers.
Heifers continued to improve last week building on their steady performance of two weeks ago. Fourteen days ago the majority of heifers on our...
The squeeze on supplies continues with last week's kill reaching just 29,641. The general run of quotes yesterday morning saw bullocks on €3.90/kg,...
"Factories have sheep-men in a headlock." The words of one sheep farmer yesterday on the current relationship between factories and their suppliers. And "headlock" it is in relation to prices, with quotes for everything from ewes to hoggets to lambs less yesterday than a week ago.
The Kepak Athleague quote for hoggets fell last week by 15c/kg, while Kildare Chilling dropped their hogget quote by 10c/kg.
A month ago, this column reported how mart managers noted that some of those ringside appeared to have no fear of where the Irish cattle trade might go post March 29, the then date for the UK to exit the EU.
After a jump of up to 30c/kg last week for hoggets some factory bosses returned after their weekend break yesterday in a less than positive mood and slashed their quotes by 10-15c/kg.
Easter is the great Christian celebration of hope, the time when we are told that provided we have led good and righteous lives, we can look forward to eternal life in the hereafter.
The push by summer grazers to acquire adequate numbers saw more upward pressure on the majority of Ringside bullock categories.
Permanent CCTV camera surveillance and weighing scales on kill lines should be installed in factories, it has been urged.
There was a difference of opinion among the farm organisations about factory prices yesterday morning.
Farmers have reacted furiously as factory quotes for bullocks and heifers, and bulls in some places, slipped another 5c/kg this week .
Brexit uncertainties and stagnant beef prices failed to derail the store cattle trade in the marts over the last week, as strong demand for quality stock continued to underpin the market.
The sheep trade on the factory side continues exactly as it did last week.
The optimism of a month ago when those with lambs to sell were convinced that with Easter in the offing and Ramadan to follow prices for lamb and hogget must surely improve were dealt another blow yesterday morning as quotes remained yet again static.
The united line on factory prices, such a feature of the factory trade since late last year, has continued to fracture as the search by agents for fit stock has increased competition.
For those of you waiting for good news on the sheep price front, I'm afraid all I have to offer today is that the majority of prices are no worse than they were last week.
Factory prices are on the rise. Bullocks were reported as selling over the weekend generally for €3.75-3.85/kg, with some sellers unwilling to discuss anything below €3.90/kg.
Before getting into factory prices, a word of caution to all who work with cattle. I had another report over the weekend of an incident on a farm where an aged stock bull charged its owner.
Figures from Bord Bia show that to the end of March throughput at our major sheep plants was back 14.2pc or 94,145 hd on the same period in 2018.
This week's quotes for bullocks and heifers see no improvement, with their prices continuing on €3.70 and €3.80/kg respectively.
Milk production is on target to top eight billion litres this year, with deliveries to some processors up 12-13pc in the first quarter compared to 2018.
Farmers involved in dairy calf-to-beef production will have to be paid a minimum of €4.05/kg into the hand to make a margin of €200/hd on calves bought this spring.
Back when I was a boy, the space race between the USA and USSR was gripping stuff.
The UK government's attempts to sabotage the Irish cattle trade with threats of chronically high tariffs should be seen, in my opinion, for what they were - a crude attempt to turn Irish beef into a political bargaining chip.
Later today we may, or we may not, have some clear indication of how Britain intends to proceed with Brexit as MPs gather for another vote on the matter.
Factory prices remain unchanged for the majority of farmers and feeders, with heifers on a €3.85/kg base and bullocks on €3.75/kg.
The most rapidly expanding section of beef production continues to be bull beef. But it's also the sector that has been hardest hit by the Brexit impact on beef prices with farmers facing the double-whammy of low payments and difficulty getting cattle killed.
The story of the cattle trade in recent days is one of increased numbers. Some were reporting close to record entries for this time of year.
Official quotes for lamb were easier at some plants yesterday by 5-10c/kg as factories continued to take their combined feet off the price accelerator.
The model for the production of meaningful numbers of better conformation, grass-fed beef bullocks in this country is broken.
Intense competition between farmers and shippers - and continuing strong grass growth - has helped keep a floor under cattle prices over the last week, despite marts reporting massive entries.
Prices for poor quality and younger calves out of the dairy herd have taken a major hit over the last week as difficulties in the shipping sector have intensified.
Your typical Irish beef farmer must feel a bit like a front-row in a scrum at the moment: head down, driving forward, apparently oblivious to life outside his immediate concerns and surroundings.
A bull and heifer finisher from the south east gave me some revealing information over the weekend about where his prices are at for in-spec stock.
Beef farmers are continuing to count their losses as it emerged Irish finishers received €85 a head less than British farmers in recent weeks amid mounting Brexit uncertainty.
The story in the sheep trade is that numbers appear to have tightened at both the factory and mart gate as farmers concentrate on keeping a close eye on the lambing.
Despite last week's factory kill being 37,116, once you exclude the 1,095 calves slaughtered, prices appeared to be no better or worse this week than they were last week.
Lively competition among grass finishers has pushed on prices for stores by €40 to €100/hd, despite the continuing concerns over low prices in the beef trade.
The trade for sheep appears to have levelled off, with factory quotes for lambs remaining unchanged from last week. Dawn, ICM and Kepak held their official base quotes steady at €5.20/kg plus various bonuses.
I'm not going to pretend there is any real good news on the factory price front. Bullocks and heifers remain the same price as they have for weeks: €3.75/kg and €3.85/kg respectively.
Finishers are finding it extremely difficult to get young bulls killed, with some facing a six-week wait, it has emerged.
At first glance, the sheep trade continues to push on well, with Kepak Athleague yesterday raising their quote by 15c/kg to €5.20+ 15c/kg QA.
Prices for bullocks and heifers remain fixed in recent days week at €3.75 and €3.85/kg respectively.
A 10-20pc drop in cattle numbers in the marts has been reported over the last week as poor factory prices and the continuing Brexit debacle in Britain fuels uncertainty in the trade.
Supply pressures continued to put upward pressure on prices to the point where yesterday morning factories once again were forced to lift their quotes for lamb - and in some cases that lift was quite spectacular.
Finishers with stock to sell must be struggling with the feeling of dread that comes when trying to do business in an over-supplied market, as the figures continue to illustrate.
I was stunned to hear from ICSA's John Brooks that there is no Department supervision of weights, trim or classification at sheep factories.
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 steers and heifers remaining at €3.75 and €3.85/kg respectively.
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 last year.
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 asking hard questions as to where now for those remaining.
Before getting into the nitty gritty of factory prices, a word about an issue that has periodically dogged relations between farmers and 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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
