Beef price tracker 2

As I said that is the gross margin. Costs were around 450 for an animal bought one summer and sold the next summer the time fertlizer hit 800/ ton and rations were 400/ ton when the Ukraine war hit. Ration is a bit over 300/ ton this years and fertlizer was 450-500/ ton last year. Costs will creep up this year although fertiliser was bought before it went through the roof. I expect 400ish for the 12 month animals and 6-650 for the animals there 20-24 months. Those light heifers when bought probably ate 100-120kgs of ration the first year and were on it 6-7 weeks pre slaughter, probably around 250kgs in total. The one bought last summer have eaten 130 ish kgs around 40 euros worth

Saying to take everything to slaughter is a bit premature. Remember that the feedlots need forward stores to meet their obligations to whatever baron. My advice is to watch both mart and factory prices closely for 6 or so weeks out from finishing and be ready to move quickly to whichever. There is no room for indecisiveness at present!

They have to keep them sweet so they will get more than Joe Farmer when cattle are plenty. They are well oiled machines, brewers grain, biscuit seconds etc. They have been known to change factories regularly if they are not happy. If cattle dried up by farmers not supplying them as Bass pointed out then we would be in the driving seat. Factories would buy off them at a loss on occasions but they will milk Joe Farmer.

They miigh have no contracts but they will still get favourable prices anything from 10-30c/ kg better than your or I depending on how tight they are for cattle. No contracts is a two way street you are a free agent you can sell or hold if it suits, more risk but the potential of more reward.

They are feeding by anything from 70c to a euro plus a day cheaper than your or I. Labour and machinery may be where they are more at risk than us.

Local big finisher here, killing near 20k cattle a year now, claims he has been told to keep the sheds full. He went to Kerry last week and brought home 350 store bullocks from 2 marts on top of his normal buying from all the marts around here. He was getting €7 base a few weeks back when us plebs were getting €6.50.

That's not going to happen anytime soon, Bass. Have to play what's in front of you.

For once in my life I made the right call in the spring and sold all my store cattle and got a ransom for them (2700-2900 for 500-580kg cattle).

More so as I am not long out of TB so wasn’t taking the risk of grazing for summer than thinking the price was gonna go to shite.

What do people think the quality weanling bull trade will be this summer? The u grade type LM bull that was hitting 6-7 per kg.

Mine have the quality, surprisingly they were bought local last year. 400kg ish for 2500-2700 if I recall last summer

The fella that bought them still has them 6-8 weeks ago…..he would want to be on some contract.

it’s not stupid for the suckler farmer. You’ve long lambasted the suckler farmer so when we get a good year, then it’s stupid **** in your opinion.

Everyone will always look out for their own interests and there will always be winners and losers when it encompasses different systems but it doesn’t mean it’s stupid **** if it just happens to favour other systems.