Do you use a factory agent?

Muckit

Well, as above. The times I've sent a few l just ring factory procurement lad directly and bring them in myself.

But would l be better off going through an agent? Would l get a better price?

Sam Kade

I don't know about a better price but you would have a good idea of the price before you send them if you weren't good with weights.

tanko

A good agent will get you 5c/kg more than you'd get yourself in my limited experience of sending cows to the factory. There are some useless agents out there tho.

FeelTheBern

Think agent useful really if hard to get cattle into factory or maybe to get better deal on penalties but otherwise don't see much difference. I learned the hard way that you can't trust a word any of them tell you though - no matter how many years you've been using them.

Sam Kade

FeelTheBern wrote: »

Think agent useful really if hard to get cattle into factory or maybe to get better deal on penalties but otherwise don't see much difference. I learned the hard way that you can't trust a word any of them tell you though - no matter how many years you've been using them.

My agent one time decided to give me a clipping charge for cattle straight off grass in November to get some fcuker with sh1tty cattle off :mad:

viztopia

granted there are bad agents out there but if you just ring up the factory to book in the cattle and hope for the best then you might as well drop the togs, bend over and hope for the best.......

tanko

viztopia wrote: »

granted there are bad agents out there but if you just ring up the factory to book in the cattle and hope for the best then you might as well drop the togs, bend over and hope for the best.......

Jaysus, what kind of factory are you near?
I've often brought one or two cows go my local factory if there was no competition around the cow ring in the local mart. I'd know the weight and grades they are at this stage, ring them, agree a price and bring them in. I've never had a problem doing this. I mightn't always be happy with the price but they give what was agreed.

Who2

i reckon theres not much difference between using one or not; they are all a shower of thieving tramps.

Salrub

I always reckon that the agent is getting well paid by the factory in getting the most cattle in at the least price paid possible. Only one thing for certain, the farmer is not getting fair deal anyway

Count Mondego

Same lad for a few years and find him very good. Goes between a number of factories and generally happy with the price. He gets the haulage and no doubt a commission and that's fine. Able to pick the best place to go for oversized animals etc.

Lady Haywire

We only send cows to the factory but we use the same guy all the time. Would get him a few cows through other people and he seems to get us good prices every time, knows when he'll have a load of young/old/skinny/fat so gets a good base deal for them.
He does know I take no **** though as I knew him for years working in the marts, we get on just fine insulting the crap out of each other

davidk1394

Use agents here for both lambs and cattle. A good agent will get you a better price and if theres a backlog they'd usually be able to help you jump the que

ganmo

Are agents the reason the factories don't want beef producer groups?

kk.man

They are a necessary evil!

Who2

ganmo wrote: »

Are agents the reason the factories don't want beef producer groups?

the beef producer groups are great when cattle are scarce but they dont want paying a premium when there are plenty of easier pickings about with larger volumes. everything to do with beef processing in this country is extremely one sided, its a complete joke that something doesn't get done about it, what; i don't know.

Danzy

Think it depends on the factory. We use an agent because they cut to fu78 those who do not where I am.

Danzy

Who2 wrote: »

the beef producer groups are great when cattle are scarce but they dont want paying a premium when there are plenty of easier pickings about with larger volumes. everything to do with beef processing in this country is extremely one sided, its a complete joke that something doesn't get done about it, what; i don't know.

The processors have FF bought stock and barrel and FG never upset the status quo, the IFA leadership all too often look at their time in office as a stepping stone to other things and sure who wants to be a trouble maker.

So the piss rains down.