Beef price tracker 2

grass10 · 21-02-2025 06:45PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195435#Comment_123195435

Thanks for that but maybe your prices might be a bit off the mark as these are underage cattle and your figures probably 3 to 4 weeks old

DBK1 · 21-02-2025 06:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195559#Comment_123195559

€7 is freely available this week even for lads with only 2 or 3 to kill. If you’ve a decent number of them and at your age for weight they’re obviously good stock, I’d say you have the bargaining power to look for €7.20+.

KAMG · 21-02-2025 07:20PM

No problem. It's hard to keep up with the increases. How much further can they go to is the big issue. And will it burst.... hopefully it stays this way until June when I'm selling!

grass10 · 21-02-2025 07:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195601#Comment_123195601

That's what I was sort of thinking I did not price yet but was thinking at least 7.20 if I gave them a load but in this market you just don't know what the real paid prices are

Anto_Meath · 21-02-2025 08:04PM

Would imagine it isn't going to go bust. With bird flu if there is much wiped out then you think prices would climb another bit.

Can't see it going back below €6+ for a good while. The stock just isn't there.

KAMG · 21-02-2025 08:25PM

The thing I don't understand though is that the supply is there. The kill for week ending 17 Feb 25 was 39,155. Up on the figure of 37,585 last year.

Neddyusa · 21-02-2025 08:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195840#Comment_123195840

Good point, theres such demand though that they are killing store cattle the last month. That possibly points to factories packing the cold stores in anticipation of further price rises to come?

grass10 · 21-02-2025 08:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195840#Comment_123195840

Supply has never been an issue it's the UK that are very short of cattle and their dead price is over 1 euro per kg above us so the Irish factories can sell large amounts of beef to the UK and make big profits

Lots of light cattle being processed every week so take no notice of numbers being published it's the tonnes of beef is what counts and the tonnes are low enough

KAMG · 21-02-2025 09:18PM

Exactly. So, as long as the kill stays at these levels, the more likely the price will stay high and stay increasing.

WoozieWu · 21-02-2025 09:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123195840#Comment_123195840

carcass weights are lower than 5 years ag by a significant amount and demand has increased

how many more people in the country/europe compared to 10 years ago

Cavanjack · 21-02-2025 11:15PM

I see the factories are still taking the oiss. The price gap between us and the uk has widened in the last few weeks.

Anto_Meath · 21-02-2025 11:45PM

Passing by Carnaross mart today, there was 3 Northern Ireland reg lorrys loading up store cattle bought on Monday. If you think about it a least 1/3 of the cattle sold there on Monday are going North for higher prices.

Cavanjack · 25-02-2025 10:02AM

A flat price of €7 is to be got for bulls and continental bullocks.

grange mac · 25-02-2025 10:16AM

Heard last night the 7 month grass men are buying calves this year as stores are just too dear. It doesn't make sense to me as need 10 of them to make a store unit and they now 250 head for anything non FR... that's 2500 so better off buying the ridiculous stores..... it just doesn't make sense.... and where is it going to end 🤔

Grueller · 25-02-2025 10:49AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207215#Comment_123207215

Why 10? 1-2 year old is 57kgs/N.

A calf is 24kgs/N.

Adult cattle are 65kgs/N

Correct me if I am wrong but would that not mean 3 calves would cover a store?

Edited to say just searched it online there. A bovine under 1 yr is 0.4 Lu.

Over 1 but under 2 is 0.7

Over 2 is 1.0

2.5 calves cover any other beast in terms of LU.

morphy87 · 25-02-2025 11:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207179#Comment_123207179

Did you hold out in the end hoping for the €7?

Anto_Meath · 25-02-2025 01:27PM

@grange mac couldn't see any of the 7 month lads I know rearing calves to much work in that for them. But maybe they could be buying reared calves (2-3 months). And in fairness there could be as much to be made out of them as anything.

Cavanjack · 25-02-2025 03:06PM

Yeah have some going this week.
Waiting for €8 for the rest of them!!!

Albert Johnson · 25-02-2025 03:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123207215#Comment_123207215

I can't see to many of the 7 months men buying suck calves tbh but maybe I'm wrong. Often being a 7 months farmer is due to work or other commitments that limit the amount of time you've available to spend farming or to make for an easier life. If I wanted an easy life then it wouldn't involve suck calves or mixing milk replacer and I'd imagine most others would agree.

Secondly if you've an area of land to stock then suck calves aren't going to make much use of grass for the first half of the year. Unless you've other stock or intend to make winter fodder then you'll have very little grazing demand in the peak growing season and an increasing demand as growth tails off in the autumn. If you were rearing sucks every year and keeping them through to stores/finish then you'd have bigger cattle to stock the land with but now you're keeping cattle all year round.

Lastly with the sucks you've a TB risk in the autumn compared to buying stores and carrying through to finish. Granted if you were buying weanlings in the spring previously and showing again in the store ring in the autumn then you ran the risk of being locked with Tb come sale time every year.