Uplift for finished beef as processors battle for numbers

British beef producers have been receiving higher prices for cattle throughout the whole of 2023, with deadweight prices currently up by almost 40p/kg on the year.

Tight supplies of finished cattle are helping to buoy up prices both at abattoirs and in the live ring, with processors keen to get hold of numbers.

GB weekly prime throughputs at abattoirs stood at 32,700 head in early December, down by 2,100 head on week-earlier levels.

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Stuart Vile, ruminant manager at livestock marketing group Meadow Quality, said some abattoirs were looking for cattle, and price rises of between 2-5p/kg were being reported depending on the processor.

Mr Vile added that GB cattle supplies looked short for the next six weeks.

AHDB senior red meat analyst Hannah Clarke said prices in the finished market had generally held steady since September.

Ms Clarke added: “Weekly estimated prime cattle slaughter has fallen over the past few weeks and has been running below a year ago since the first week of October.”

Beef prices have also been rising in Ireland in recent weeks, but are still at about a 70p/kg discount to GB prices and therefore remain competitive for imports.

However, prime cattle in Ireland are also relatively scarce, with throughputs down 2% on the same period last year, according to Bord Bia.

Liveweight

Total prime cattle averaged 262.49p/kg liveweight on 11 December at GB auction markets, with numbers down on the week.

At St Asaph Livestock Market, 61 prime cattle were sold on 7 December, with heifers averaging 294p/kg and steers at 275.22p/kg.

Auctioneer Sion Eilir Roberts said there was a good variety of cattle coming forward, and every breed, grade and age met a terrific trade and competitive bidding on all types.