Beef sector confidence on a high

Beef producers have demonstrated massive confidence in the sector in the past week, with more than £2.5m being spent on bulls at big sales.

While there has been a number of high-money pedigree purchases among the bulls sold at Carlisle and Perth this week, there has been a mass of commercial men spending more than 5000gns to secure the sire of their choice.

This rise in trading is undoubtedly a result of the surging store cattle and prime cattle trade and it can only be hoped that this confidence is repaid by firm prices once these bulls’ calves are marketed in the coming years.

Having set a new UK all-breeds average record of £5688 last Saturday at Carlisle, the Limousin breed looked to be riding highest on the wave of confidence created by rising beef prices and soaring store cattle prices.

But Wednesday’s sale of Charolais sires at Perth blew that record clean out of the water, lifting it clear of £6000 for the first time, to settle at £6062, nearly £400 above the record set five days previously.

After last Saturday’s Limousin sale, British Limousin Cattle Society chief executive Ian Kerr said setting an all-breeds UK record sale average put the cap on what was a tremendous sale for the breed.

“All of the industry messages are for added value cattle easy care, easy calving, feed efficiency, with top yield and killing out percentage. Limousin breeders are providing the goods in numbers and buyers are investing heavily in their own future with great confidence.”

Meanwhile, speaking after the Charolais sale, breed chief executive David Benson said the trade reflected renewed confidence in the sector from commercial farmers and had seen a number of new buyers seeking bulls to go away and work this spring.

“This was particularly evident in the strong trade for the senior bulls forward. Moreover, buyers were actively using performance figures to select their purchases and breeders are now responding to this demand.”

For more news from all the sales and pictures of the leading prices read our Taking Stock blog.