Prime cattle have almost definitely peaked for now, with base prices for cattle starting around 715-720p in the last week. Healthy premiums for native breeds available. Demand is generally easier, with Bank Holidays from the late Easter and the upcoming May Bank Holiday weekend contributing to reduced kills. In contrast though, some abattoirs despite what they say publicly remain tight for cattle and these processors are more likely to hold prices close to the current values.
Crystal ball time… there are two scenarios being pushed as we start to enter summer period…
1) A slow decline in the beef trade with a bottoming out around Highland Show time around the 640-660p base.
2) A month long price dip/hiatus whilst the Spring calving Suckler beef bull surge flows through, followed by a sharpening/recovery in the beef trade when numbers tighten in July.
Cull cows are trading upwards from 570p with some well fleshed beef types chasing base bids of 590p/kg. With BBQ weather in full swing the cow trade seems stable in comparison to prime which is fraying somewhat. With many members now getting through calving, please get in touch if you have any cull cows which you require moving on. Demand is very, firm.
The hogg trade has eased yet again, with all classes of hoggs, even smarter export types easier as the week has progressed. Deadweight base prices have ranged from 670-690p in the last week. Spring lambs 735-740p/kg. With spring lambs coming forward from early lambing flocks we anticipate an early switch over. If you have hoggs left, please consider moving quickly as the hogg market feels bearish with prices looking likely to settle around the 5 year average as shown in the AHDB graph below. Despite the easing in the trade, we are moving very good numbers of hoggs for the time of the year, with hogg throughput up 13% compared to 2024. New hogg suppliers welcome.
With hogg prices easing we are seeing some members begin to pull out ewe lambs from finishing mobs to gimmer for the summer. Will be interesting to see if this impacts on the breeding trade this Autumn.
We currently have good demand for ewes, with a number of different outlets handling them, we hope to increase ewe numbers going forward, so please get in touch if this is something you would be interested to know more about.
The organic hogg trade is easing in line with the conventional trade with organic hoggets upwards from 730p depending on location and specification. Hogget quality is very variable as one might expect for the time of the year. Please, please weigh sheep if you are in any doubt about weights.
Organic cattle remain very keenly competed for by a number of processors with strong premiums available. Large numbers of organic store cattle continue to move, please get in touch if you have any as we have some member finishers still looking for good batches.
8 Aberdeen Angus Bulling heifers – TB4 BVD tested -Northumberland - Nikki
12 Hereford & Shorthorn 2nd+3rd calving cows with April born shorthorn x calves - Alex ID
60 Organic Store Cattle – av 475kg – Ayrshire -to be sold on a weighed on wagon basis - Alex
Calves off milk -Jonny
Calves on milk - Helen
Store Cattle – all shapes and sizes - ALL
Organic Belted Galloways - David
Jonny Williams
Acting Managing Director 07817 702 988
Alex Norval
Acting Procurement Manager 07787 826 355
Nikki Gilbertson
Senior Livestock Procurement Officer- Northumberland 07595 313 040
Eilidh Mundell
Livestock Procurement Officer – Central Scotland 07789 741 807
Lucy Bell
Livestock Procurement Officer -Borders 07879 602 962
David Marshall
Fieldsman for Farmstock 07808 329 719
Colin Mair
Fieldsman for Ayrshire Country Lamb 07976 605 130
Ian Douglas
Fieldsman for Lothian Lamb 07885 367 151
Helen Marsden
Fieldsman for Dumfries and Galloway 07778 799 261
Matthew Niccolson
Fieldsman for Shetland 07795 144404
