Cattle prices on the increase says IFA
FA National Livestock Chairman Angus Woods reveals cattle price are increasing again this week, with reports of €4.10 to as high as €4.20 base offered for steers and €4.20 to €4.30 offered for heifers.
In addition he said €4.15 base has been paid for bulls and prices of €4.10/4.20 for R/U grades are common. Mr Woods says finished cattle supplies have tightened dramatically in the last two weeks and factories are scrambling to get adequate supplies to meet strong market demand.
The Livestock leader said UK beef prices have increased again by 3p/kg within the last seven days, and this is the sixth successive week of price rises. UK prices are now 41p/kg above last year’s levels. Current UK prices are £3.62/kg, which is equivalent to €4.43/kg including VAT.
Mr Woods said:“This positive momentum in our largest export market provides significant scope for factories to lift prices further here.''
On live exports, Angus Woods said the trade remains buoyant with total live exports reaching over 105,000 head. This is an increase of over 31,000 head on last year and reflecting a 42% increase.
He said this is due mainly to a strong calf export trade to the EU as a result of IFA work in reducing charges on exports. In addition, he said the live export trade is strongly boosted by the exports to Turkey where he said two ships have already sailed and another is due to load again next week.
Angus Woods said the Express 1 boat is loading for Libya this week and another boat is on the way to Ireland to load for Turkey.
IFA Hill Committee Chairman Pat Dunne has called for a process to be established to allow for appeal and fair judgement in cases where farmers’ lands were illegally burned.
Pat Dunne said farmers would face financial loss if they were to take out lands burnt through no fault of their own.
“This is a totally unfair situation. There must be due process that allows farmers to maintain payments where fires damaged their land through no fault of their own. Unless such a process is put in place, farmers with burnt land are being unfairly victimised and have no way to achieve a fair assessment of their situation,” Pat Dunne said.