beef price tracker

Farmer Pudsey · 09-03-2014 04:59PM

Robson99 wrote: »

IMO they would be better off giving the dairy farmer 100 euro per bull calf and for him to send him to the knackery. In another couple of years there will be very few with good continental sucklers if things dont change . There are too many fresian buuls in the system and this is dragging the whole beef price to the ground

What is so special about big continental sucklers that they need to be preserved. The reasons that beef prices have fallen have little to do with the Fresian bull calves. Maybe if we had no suckler cows the price of beef would be much higher.

larrymiller · 09-03-2014 05:48PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is so special about big continental sucklers that they need to be preserved. The reasons that beef prices have fallen have little to do with the Fresian bull calves. Maybe if we had no suckler cows the price of beef would be much higher.

I may be wrong but ain't the factories looking for smaller carcasses now, so another kick for the succer!

Robson99 · 09-03-2014 08:38PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is so special about big continental sucklers that they need to be preserved. The reasons that beef prices have fallen have little to do with the Fresian bull calves. Maybe if we had no suckler cows the price of beef would be much higher.

Where did I say BIG. Quality does not necessarily mean big does it?????

Of course it has part to play with the Fresian bull calves. If they were exported or put down at birth then there would be more demand for the continental cattle

Suckler cows are part and parcel of West of Ireland farming and a lot of small farmers in the west depend on the suckler cow and continental cattle for their lively hood. But then again weer only the poor relations in the west. Look after the rich cousins and send us on the Zebras they dont want

severeoversteer · 09-03-2014 10:59PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

What is so special about big continental sucklers that they need to be preserved. The reasons that beef prices have fallen have little to do with the Fresian bull calves. Maybe if we had no suckler cows the price of beef would be much higher.

I killed a lot of charolais bullocks in the last year at 18 22 months old and 360-390 kg got paid serious money last june

you can kill charolais young too, nice young butty charolais bullocks and heifers will do well in the factory, the killout percentage is always 2 or 3 percent lower when they are less than 27 months old I find

topgeas · 09-03-2014 11:45PM

agent called and looked at limo bulls. 2.05 a kg going to boat on thru. 550kgs average. 14-15 months old. must let him know in the morning.

Farmer Pudsey · 10-03-2014 02:21AM

The reality is that is it profitable to produce 0.8-0.9 calves/cow/year. If this calf can only be taken to 380kgs max. Yes a lot of profitable beef production is targeting high beef prices. However the factory's are now aiming to produce into this time from there own feedlots. Is it possible for a suckler cow to be profitable if on average her calf has to average 350DW at 1450-1500 euro. At 0.9 calves/cow this equates to 1330 euro.

If sexed semen continues it advances the Suckler cow days are well numbered. Traditionally calves from dairy herds went west and were reared and send back to be finished on the better land east of the Shannon. If sexed semen becomes a commercial reality ( about 3-5 years away) then there is no way a suckler calf cann compete with this supply of cheap raw material. In reality it cannot at present.

The other issue is that not all beef can be targeted at the premium market it is a mix and match market. Why should a raw material (friesian bull calves) be removed from the market to make another uncompetetive sector profitable. It is just another silly idea's like Eddie Downing's beef quota. The reality is that he should address the competition issue's that the factory's control in the form of using there own and rented feedlots to control prices.

I do not see the suckler cow having a long term place in Irish beef production. Maybe when sexed semen is a reality the use of multiple suckling using cull dairy cows may be an option however having a specialist cow that rears 5 calves over an 8-9 year lifespan is inhearently unprofitable

freedominacup · 10-03-2014 07:52AM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

The reality is that is it profitable to produce 0.8-0.9 calves/cow/year. If this calf can only be taken to 380kgs max. Yes a lot of profitable beef production is targeting high beef prices. However the factory's are now aiming to produce into this time from there own feedlots. Is it possible for a suckler cow to be profitable if on average her calf has to average 350DW at 1450-1500 euro. At 0.9 calves/cow this equates to 1330 euro.

If sexed semen continues it advances the Suckler cow days are well numbered. Traditionally calves from dairy herds went west and were reared and send back to be finished on the better land east of the Shannon. If sexed semen becomes a commercial reality ( about 3-5 years away) then there is no way a suckler calf cann compete with this supply of cheap raw material. In reality it cannot at present.

The other issue is that not all beef can be targeted at the premium market it is a mix and match market. Why should a raw material (friesian bull calves) be removed from the market to make another uncompetetive sector profitable. It is just another silly idea's like Eddie Downing's beef quota. The reality is that he should address the competition issue's that the factory's control in the form of using there own and rented feedlots to control prices.

I do not see the suckler cow having a long term place in Irish beef production. Maybe when sexed semen is a reality the use of multiple suckling using cull dairy cows may be an option however having a specialist cow that rears 5 calves over an 8-9 year lifespan is inhearently unprofitable

There is a margin in producing beef cattle whether from the dairy or suckler herd.

I was thinking about this over the weekend and in general there is a margin in it but that's it there's one margin. There's not a margin for 3/4 farmers over an animals life, the systems will have to change, if everything is done well and prices are reasonable there's maybe €250-€300 of a margin in a finished animal from birth to slaughter. Split that 4 ways and the marts and hauliers have a bigger share of the profit than any of the farmers. Even split one way 250-300 euro/head isn't much to pay wages,banks and depreciation. You really are looking at 300+ animals to give a full-time living fron beef finishing.

Farmer Pudsey · 10-03-2014 09:19AM

freedominacup wrote: »

There is a margin in producing beef cattle whether from the dairy or suckler herd.

I was thinking about this over the weekend and in general there is a margin in it but that's it there's one margin. There's not a margin for 3/4 farmers over an animals life, the systems will have to change, if everything is done well and prices are reasonable there's maybe €250-€300 of a margin in a finished animal from birth to slaughter. Split that 4 ways and the marts and hauliers have a bigger share of the profit than any of the farmers. Even split one way 250-300 euro/head isn't much to pay wages,banks and depreciation. You really are looking at 300+ animals to give a full-time living fron beef finishing.

This has beemn my thinking for a long time. However a 300 euro profit of a single animal in dairy-beef cattle compared to suckler's is a huge difference. Carrying a suckler cow, her calf and his siblings to 22-28 months is not a runner especially with a 380kg weight cut off and the ending of bull beef.

If you look at the expected output of a suckler cow culled at 8 years. If it is 5 calves the expected output is 5.5-6K divided by eight years so about 750/year. When I did this out calculation I used an average price of 4.2/kg. however I failed to put in replacement costs so if you assume that the cull value of the cow covers her replacement then all cost have to come out of this gross outout. While for the first two years of her life it leaves a large margin for the last few years it has to cover her her calf and finishing animal.

Suckler cows cannot compete with beef now what hope with the advent of sexed semen.

willfarmerman · 11-03-2014 08:58AM

Any quotes?

TUBBY · 11-03-2014 01:23PM

willfarmerman wrote: »

Any quotes?

friend sent few yesterday.

bullocks underage 3.90 on grid.
i.e.down 5c from last week.

poor farmer · 12-03-2014 10:15AM

willfarmerman wrote: »

Any quotes?

bulls under 24 mths
o 320
r 350

Base price · 29-03-2014 12:51AM

Anyone else hear that there maybe a new outlet for lesser quality bulls.
I heard on the grapevine that there is a guy shipping from Louth to Morocco. Don't know if they are paying on the day.

epfff · 29-03-2014 07:34AM

Base price wrote: »

Anyone else hear that there maybe a new outlet for lesser quality bulls.
I heard on the grapevine that there is a guy shipping from Louth to Morocco. Don't know if they are paying on the day.

Seems to be lots of boats going for all types of bulls at the minute
Grass farmers can't buy against them at the min
Keep them moving out of the country is what I say

rancher · 29-03-2014 08:17AM

epfff wrote: »

Seems to be lots of boats going for all types of bulls at the minute
Grass farmers can't buy against them at the min
Keep them moving out of the country is what I say

When the price is competitive, there's loads of opportunities for live exports,
Cattle/sheep were just too expensive for them last year

Farmer Pudsey · 29-03-2014 10:12AM

Base price wrote: »

Anyone else hear that there maybe a new outlet for lesser quality bulls.
I heard on the grapevine that there is a guy shipping from Louth to Morocco. Don't know if they are paying on the day.

But will the price yield a return to the lad that has reared them. Or is it 1.2-1.5/KG.this eequates to 360-450 for a 300 kg FR weanling.

epfff wrote: »

Seems to be lots of boats going for all types of bulls at the minute
Grass farmers can't buy against them at the min
Keep them moving out of the country is what I say

rancher wrote: »

When the price is competitive, there's loads of opportunities for live exports,
Cattle/sheep were just too expensive for them last year

This is the theory that the store is too expensive. In reality what is coming across is that a DW price of 4/kg for the winter is all that is sustainable. This si below the cost of production especially if bulls are excluded. Yes farmers over paid for calves and some seem to be doing the same with HE/AA at present. However when the meat processors are buying against these farmers and can maniluplate price because of it then farmers are on a loser.

This is obivious the way the IFA see a solution to the issue. It leaves them off the hook.

simx · 29-03-2014 10:23AM

2.90 Os
2.80 Ps
Cows booked in for Monday

rancher · 29-03-2014 12:12PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

But will the price yield a return to the lad that has reared them. Or is it 1.2-1.5/KG.this eequates to 360-450 for a 300 kg FR weanling.

This is the theory that the store is too expensive. In reality what is coming across is that a DW price of 4/kg for the winter is all that is sustainable. This si below the cost of production especially if bulls are excluded. Yes farmers over paid for calves and some seem to be doing the same with HE/AA at present. However when the meat processors are buying against these farmers and can maniluplate price because of it then farmers are on a loser.

This is obivious the way the IFA see a solution to the issue. It leaves them off the hook.

Its the reason the ships didn't come back for the cattle, I said too expensive for them....why does everyone twist everything I write, I thought that was plainly wriiten anyway.
These guys will follow value

mf240 · 29-03-2014 02:46PM

Ya in fairness I agree with rancher on this. Any export is good.

When beef was going well farmers wouldn't let exporters buy calves or anything else.

larrymiller · 29-03-2014 03:50PM

mf240 wrote: »

Ya in fairness I agree with rancher on this. Any export is good.

When beef was going well farmers wouldn't let exporters buy calves or anything else.

And if beef goes back up 50cent, everyone will out bid the exporters again, and then 12 months or so down the line there's to much cattle and the arse falls out of it again

caseman · 08-04-2014 10:37PM

Anyone get quotes for bulls under sixteen months lately.
I'll have a few in the next few weeks to go.

larrymiller · 08-04-2014 11:13PM

caseman wrote: »

Anyone get quotes for bulls under sixteen months lately.
I'll have a few in the next few weeks to go.

How are you getting at it, I'd say you would want to know what you r at for the 16 month old game

epfff · 09-04-2014 07:01AM

larrymiller wrote: »

How are you getting at it, I'd say you would want to know what you r at for the 16 month old game

390 for u's last week

willfarmerman · 09-04-2014 11:35AM

Having a hell of a job to get cattle away at the minute. Being fobbed off now for three weeks. 40 fit underage bullocks on ad lib meal. My hair is turning grey!

MfMan · 09-04-2014 11:46AM

willfarmerman wrote: »

Having a hell of a job to get cattle away at the minute. Being fobbed off now for three weeks. 40 fit underage bullocks on ad lib meal. My hair is turning grey!

Any harm to ask whereabouts you trying to sell them?

larrymiller · 09-04-2014 12:43PM

willfarmerman wrote: »

Having a hell of a job to get cattle away at the minute. Being fobbed off now for three weeks. 40 fit underage bullocks on ad lib meal. My hair is turning grey!

I'm dreading the end of the summer when I've overage fr bullocks ready.
I'm NEVER buying one again!

Farmer Pudsey · 09-04-2014 01:05PM

larrymiller wrote: »

I'm dreading the end of the summer when I've overage fr bullocks ready.
I'm NEVER buying one again!

Cattle supply will tighen as year goes on I think. 100K more cattle in 24+months bracket nearly 45K cattle extra gone at present. As factory's have discounted bulls farmers are squeezing same This will delay killing by 4+ months. As well a lot more cattle being exported even some heavy bulls. A lot will depend on the kill over next 2 months if it continues high then supply will slacken very fast from July/August on.

larrymiller · 09-04-2014 01:33PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Cattle supply will tighen as year goes on I think. 100K more cattle in 24+months bracket nearly 45K cattle extra gone at present. As factory's have discounted bulls farmers are squeezing same This will delay killing by 4+ months. As well a lot more cattle being exported even some heavy bulls. A lot will depend on the kill over next 2 months if it continues high then supply will slacken very fast from July/August on.

But still it's fair hard to justify buying then now to kill in a year or 2. Tbh I feel that the fr steer is going down the bull beef route, of course that's only when there's to much cattle,
That's just my guess,
At this stage I'd nearly till the whole place! Less money to be lost

leg wax · 09-04-2014 02:45PM

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Cattle supply will tighen as year goes on I think. 100K more cattle in 24+months bracket nearly 45K cattle extra gone at present. As factory's have discounted bulls farmers are squeezing same This will delay killing by 4+ months. As well a lot more cattle being exported even some heavy bulls. A lot will depend on the kill over next 2 months if it continues high then supply will slacken very fast from July/August on.

yes 700 kg bulls going out on the boat, larry wont like to see them going.

Farmer Pudsey · 09-04-2014 02:50PM

leg wax wrote: »

yes 700 kg bulls going out on the boat, larry wont like to see them going.

Have not heard that they were that heavy only heard 500kgsish weight

willfarmerman · 10-04-2014 10:30AM

MfMan wrote: »

Any harm to ask whereabouts you trying to sell them?

Dunbia and slaney

beef price tracker

Comments