Happy New Year to all our Farmer Members
Cattle
After the dip in kill in the first half of November Prime cattle are smashing record breaking prices as we begin the new year. With initial base prices for conventional cattle at 555p to 575p/kg being quoted. Angus cattle at or close to 600p/kg dependent on spec.
The differentiation between cow and clean is the widest it has been for quite a while but with dairy cows upwards from 435p. Well fleshed cows attracting a strong premium of up to 440p.
As expected store cattle are extremely sort after with record prices being paid. We have a number of store finishers looking for store cattle on a farm to farm basis. We have particular demand for Angus bred stores, forward stores over 450kg and dairy bred calves on or off the milk.
Hoggs are in short supply due to the wet and now seasonally cold weather. As the week has gone on there has been a noticeable differentiation in demand for sheep from the Southern processors compared to the North. Quoted prices varying between 695-730p this week. Trade delicately poised. Please keep in touch with your fieldsman to discuss the options available so we can maximise your returns.
June Census data across Scotland. England and Wales from Defra points to a 2% reduction in the 2024 lamb crop which is fascinating given that the slaughter data from AHDB and QMS from the graph below illustrates a 7.9% reduction in prime sheep throughput at GB attatoirs from June- November… so what does this mean for the hogg volumes over the next 4 months or have lots of extra ewe lambs been retained??
Demand for ewes is very strong with the price rising from 290p/kg in the summer to 460p/kg this week for good fleshly ewes. Plainer and lighter ewes wanted for next week to 500p/kg. if your scanning ewes at the moment please give us a call to discuss the options available.
Wanted
For sale
