The extraordinary surge in the beef trade continues unabated and right now it really does show no sign of let up whatsoever. Most industry chatter points to a continuation of the current prices in the short term as there appears to be NO stock of beef anywhere in the UK or Ireland right now, which is extremely unusual for January. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a food security-political issue going forward.
We have seen further double digit rises in the last week with Scotch cattle 585-605p quoted with further negotiation in some cases. Angus cattle are still attracting a strong premium of 15-20p with plenty of strong beasts seeing returns in excess of £2500. For our members who have persevered with finishing they are seeing great returns at present and this uplift has flown into the store ring.
The cow trade has jumped approximately 20p/kg with demand outstripping supply. More cows urgently wanted to meet demand for processing beef with cow base quotations 460-470p base in the last seven days.
Let’s hope this trade encourages farmers to put a few more heifers to the bull this Spring and retain the critical mass required to maintain a vibrant beef sector. Is long term sector support is required as there are no quick fixes? After all it takes a minimum of three years to bring beef to the market.
More clean cattle, young bulls and all types of cows required every week with extremely fast uplift. Remember we pay in 7 days and prime stock sales are fully insured. Please speak to your local fieldsman to discuss the variety of options available.
The hogget trade is a touch easier in the last week with the fizz slightly abated. Nonetheless they remain a flying trade by historical standards. Hoggs in the last week varied from 695-740p dependent on specification and location with the Scottish trade remaining very buoyant. Demand is very mixed but with Ramadan and Valentines Day within the next month everyone expects demand to recover.
Lamb – Volume and average price changes in retail throughout 2024
Source: Kantar, Total lamb, rolling 12 w/e 1 December 2024
Recent reports from Kantar and AHDB as shown in the above graph point to strong retail demand for lamb/hogget in the last year which is very reassuring given the increase in lamb values. The full article makes for interesting reading if you are interested.
Consumers flocked back to lamb in 2024 | AHDB
Ewes to 480p in the last week. Demand slightly easier on the week.
Like the conventional trade, organic beef cattle remain very keenly sought after with prices in the region of 620-640p dependent on spec.
Organic prime hoggs remain keenly competed for with strong premiums of at least 20-30p available. Organic hogg numbers typically begin to ease off now so it will be interesting to see where the trade goes in next month.
Store cattle- All fieldsmen.
Good batches of strong store lambs wanted.
In lamb ewes coming soon.
