ICSA Beef chair Edmund Graham has urged farmers to demand more for beef cattle in the lead up to Christmas with demand strong and supplies tight. “Factories are anxious to maintain their supplies to see them through Christmas and into January. While they might have been trying to condition farmers into accepting lower prices in recent months, the reality is that supplies are tight, and factories are actively seeking cattle” he said.

“With demand strong it’s not a time to accept the first offer you are given but rather to fight for every additional five or ten cent possible. Irish prices are still over 80c/kg behind UK prices and also remain below Bord Bia’s Export benchmark price; there is scope for greater parity, and we need to push for it. There is also no better time to shop around than when the factories are anxious for cattle as we continue to see some price variation from factory to factory.”

Mr Graham said that farmers should always be mindful of the opportunities to sell cattle elsewhere. “The mart trade remains strong and should be considered as an option where possible. Likewise, there are options too to export cattle live at the minute, particularly for beef type bulls.”

ENDS