NI cattle prices close to intervention trigger

By FWi staff

DEADWEIGHT cattle prices in Northern Ireland have fallen so far that they are now very close to triggering the intervention “safety net” conditions, reported the Meat and Livestock Commission this week.

Prices are the equivalent of 61.1% of the intervention price, while to qualify they need to be below 60% of the intervention price for a minimum of two weeks.

Deadweight cattle prices in the UK have been sharply falling over recent weeks. However, with the current Green Pound rates, prices are still some way off triggering the safety net conditions in the UK.

Current deadweight prices are 68.1% of the intervention price and the MLC says that R3 and R4 steers would have to drop to about 140p/kg deadweight to bring prices to below the 60% trigger level.

At liveweight cattle markets in England and Wales earlier this week, prices made a small recovery on the slumps seen in recent weeks. Light steers made the strongest recovery, creeping 5.58p to 76.52/kg. Heavy steers also made a small recovery inching 2.48p to 80.24p/kg. Medium steers made no recovery.

Heifers made no real recovery, with light heifers falling a further 2.59p to 75.46p/kg. Medium heifers eased slightly to 78.73p/kg.

Light bulls took a heavy drop, falling 3.03p to 76.50p/kg, and medium bulls didnt do much better falling to 80.78p/kg. Heavy bulls made a slight increase, creeping 0.19p to 81.23p/kg.