beef price tracker

The dates seem fair in my view. Unlucky for me as I’d a load and a half mid January and while they left nothing had I killed before Christmas I’d have took 20cent a kg less than nothing.. the glut propaganda from the processors absolutely robbed a lot of out of spec beef in the late autumn early winter period.

Beef prices weren’t down
If farmers are honest this hasn’t really affected us that much, if at all. In fact it’s been a good year to date. /quote]

Beef prices weren't down?

I got 375 base pre lockdown

The week of lockdown I couldn't get cattle killed because I was told that there was no catering demand in UK and that was where majority of Irish beef was going

Following weeks I was taking 340 base

Are you telling me 375 base is equal to 340 base?
In my book that's 35c and on 350kg is €120 a head

Green&Red wrote: »

In the first week maybe but I sent cattle March 10th and got 375 base. That’s six weeks after the start of this scheme.

I agree the scheme should not start until lockdown week starting 16 March which would allow a greater amount per head.

But I totally disagree with your initial statement that it was a good year and it had no effect on price during this pandemic.
Or did I interpreted your initial statement that is was a good year with no price problems and the price never dropped for farmer's

epfff wrote: »

I agree the scheme should not start until lockdown week starting 16 March which would allow a greater amount per head.

But I totally disagree with your initial statement that it was a good year and it had no effect on price during this pandemic.
Or did I interpreted your initial statement that is was a good year with no price problems and the price never dropped for farmer's

Prices go up and down every year, I don’t think this has been a bad year for prices

I also think it’s been a good year for farming in general, grass growth is high which means cheaper weight on cattle. Fertiliser and meal prices have been normal. Provided this wet weather doesn’t end up with cattle going in too early it’ll have been a very good year for farming

Cavanjack wrote: »

No scheme will suit everyone.

Hard to call it a scheme when there is no requirement on the farmer to do anything. At least BEAM and BEEP have a purpose and require the farmer to do something which has a tangible result.
This kinda thing will just reinforce the stereotype of farmers getting money for nothing.

I wouldn't be begrudging anyone the PUP.

Cavanjack wrote: »

Every penny if it will make its way back into the economy. Weather it’ll be concrete, steel, land reclamation or it’ll be passed onto the weanling/store producer.

And in comparison to the covid 19 payments being blew on amazon and off-licence it’s peanuts to the exchequer. But Larry is pocketing it in reality let’s not kid ourselves.

Neddyusa wrote: »

Many qualify for the new beef compensation payment?
I had a load of cattle that missed out by a week in the previous scheme. Had a load miss out by 1 day this time.... on the bright side I'm getting closer!

Killed a load last week of January and last week of June. Such is life I nearly had €3000. On the up side I came out in the draw for a ticket to see local Gaa club playing on Sunday........

amacca wrote: »

If thats the stereotype then its an opinion of a bunch of begrudging fools imo whose opinon on the matter is as valid as my opinion on the state of the hollywood film/entertainment industry right now.

Farmers are being inadequately compensated for producing food below the cost of production and these schemes are attempts to keep them slaving at it.

Money for nothing me hole.............small money to continue to be a food producing slave..........I agree on one thing however, farmer would probably be better off without these schemes and paid for "advice" which favours production over sense....they would be better off without the market manipulation and instead given some leverage/bargaining power so they get paid a fair price for their produce (as they clearly are too disparate a group to work together for a variety of reasons) or if a healthy small to medium farm enterprises were prioritised even for support so the family farm isnt completely wiped out in favour of factory style operations which wont do anything for pr/image etc down the road.

Problem with these schemes is that they encourage lads to stay at it. Last year was the third year in a row that winter finishers took a serious hit. Yet ;ads will stay at it because they were bailed out again. Procurement managers will be whispering about another deal next year if prices are hit hard.

While Covid hit farmers hard it why were these farmers special. In the summer of 2018 we had a drought and poor summer prices yet nothing was given to these farmers. At the start there was talk of it but the slush fund was targeted towards winter finishers of 2018/2019. This year at the start there was talk that this was an all winter scheme. In he end it has turned out to be again a fund for a sectional group of farmers. As long as the tit is there lads will stay sucking. It similar to suckler production. Only when the tit is removed will lads stop sucking.

At present I am only getting 3.40 for P grade Friesians, an O- grade is 3.58 local factory is refusing to budge off 3.7 base. To travel I need 3.8 at least not available for small bunches. I need to buy 370-400kg friesian's at sub 600 euro. That is unlikly to happen, if I cannot buy before October I need to be buying a 450kg animal at similar prices. I know that is no good to the store man and prices are higher than that but it time to reduce numbers again. With projected numbers for 2022 in the pipeline that year has the potential to be a bag a disaster as we have seen for the last three year or even worse.

wrangler wrote: »

You've finally learnt what most of us know, It's naive to think you'll survive at farming without substantial subsidies and schemes.
The prices are world market prices so to think they're going to change is also naive

You are incorrect I cannot survive if certain sections are given special subsidities as it unbalances the market. These farmers are kept in the game but are forcing other farmers to downsize who were profitable but now are forced into lower profitability.

If this Beam scheme did not happen and last years as well would these lads have reduced there stocking levels. If they did over 2-3 years lads exiting winter finishing would send market signals that would rise the price to other winter finishers. It would force processors to put in place prices or mechanisms ( contracts ) to encourage fisnishers to supply them.

But as long as procurement managers can keep whispering there will be another scheme next year these finishers will stay at it. Over the last 3 years we have stayed 30-60C/kg below prices that were in place 4-8 years ago taht 1-200 euro/head across every bullock, bull, heifer and cow finished. Accross 2 million cattle and climbing that is about 300 million euro/ year. a 50 million tit is only fooling lads. The sooner lads realize that the better.

To put it in context 250k of the extra cattle that are being send into the factories thheyare getting for nothing. If a farmers has 100 cattle 12-13 of them are not being paid for now compared to 4+ years ago and that si before we take any rise ibn costs involved into the equation.

Bass Reeves wrote: »

You are incorrect I cannot survive if certain sections are given special subsidities as it unbalances the market. These farmers are kept in the game but are forcing other farmers to downsize who were profitable but now are forced into lower profitability.

If this Beam scheme did not happen and last years as well would these lads have reduced there stocking levels. If they did over 2-3 years lads exiting winter finishing would send market signals that would rise the price to other winter finishers. It would force processors to put in place prices or mechanisms ( contracts ) to encourage fisnishers to supply them.

But as long as procurement managers can keep whispering there will be another scheme next year these finishers will stay at it. Over the last 3 years we have stayed 30-60C/kg below prices that were in place 4-8 years ago taht 1-200 euro/head across every bullock, bull, heifer and cow finished. Accross 2 million cattle and climbing that is about 300 million euro/ year. a 50 million tit is only fooling lads. The sooner lads realize that the better.

To put it in context 250k of the extra cattle that are being send into the factories thheyare getting for nothing. If a farmers has 100 cattle 12-13 of them are not being paid for now compared to 4+ years ago and that si before we take any rise ibn costs involved into the equation.

There's whole range of subsidies for farmers now, like the dublin bus , if you miss one there'll be another one along in a minute. Farm organisations get a better return for their time chasing those than in the dreamland of a better market price. A bad meat price is no advantage to meat processors, they'll take their margin no matter what the price is.
From the farmer that pays way too much for the calf and stores to those that finish cattle they are driven by a blind optimism and no amount of advice to the contrary will change that so it's more business like to use what's available rather than dreaming about what might have been. Nowadays the day spent in the office pays better than a month on the farm

wrangler wrote: »

There's whole range of subsidies for farmers now, like the dublin bus , if you miss one there'll be another one along in a minute. Farm organisations get a better return for their time chasing those than in the dreamland of a better market price. A bad meat price is no advantage to meat processors, they'll take their margin no matter what the price is.
From the farmer that pays way too much for the calf and stores to those that finish cattle they are driven by a blind optimism and no amount of advice to the contrary will change that so it's more business like to use what's available rather than dreaming about what might have been. Nowadays the day spent in the office pays better than a month on the farm

That may be true however given the farmer vote is in decline and of limited importance the dots are going to be joined by a tax paying consumer at some point..

They are paying enough tax as it is and enough for beef and lamb for the prime producer to be getting a living rather than subsidising production with their taxes for billionaire beef barons. How does it cost as much to slaughter ,slice ,dice ,box and sell an animal in 3weeks including prime cuts as it does to breed, gestate for 9 months, rear ,and raise it for 18 to 30 months and still claim there’s nothing to see or challenge? and instead go knee bent begging perpetually.

Base price wrote: »

The death knell for Irish family farms and their local communities.

The EU doesnt want an end to family farms and rural decimation, they also dont want to go back to butter mountains and wine lakes by supporting produce price. the subs and schemes mean that a lot of farmers can cut output but continue farming. Downside is young farmers who want to farm fulltime will find it hard to access land ( even the over generous IMO leasing tax free hasnt released much land ) Now there's talk of a new retirement scheme. BTW I have cut output here but continue farming and bottom line hasn't fallen drastically considering workload decrease. ( Is this good for farming In general though? )

Water John wrote: »

The tax free leasing has released a lot of land in Cork. This has facilitated much of the creation of larger dairy herds. Think it's a better option for retiring farmers than a retirement scheme. Memories of the last one aren't good.

Huge amount of land on lease around here since it was made tax free, reflecting the age profile around here I suppose.

jntsnk wrote: »

Are factory prices holding for next week?

No back 5cent at least in south east.

It looks like any meat plants in Laois, Offaly and Kildare will be closed that have a cluster of COVID. I presume that the processor's will use this to try to drop prices to farmers. If they do once again they will commit treason against the people of the state