Cattle prices continued to rise last week (ending 11 August) as tight supplies continued. While the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) estimated prime cattle slaughtering’s were back 11% on the year, currently standing at 30,100, buyers weren’t deterred and strong prices have carried on from previous weeks according to the latest ‘Cattle and Sheep Weekly’ data.

Across the board, steers were up 1 penny on the week to average 339.7p/k while R4L steers were up 2p to 349.9p/kg. Heifers increase too with the average up a penny, reaching 341.1p/kg with R4L heifers were up by a similar amount to 346.5p/kg.

Cow markets were firm this week too and up 3 pence for -04L beast which stood prices at 271.8p/kg.

AHDB reckoned that cull cow slaughtering’s and throughputs were up on the year which should mean further down the line there is less beef on the market. With a continued demand from both home and abroad could this mean the price of beef is still set to increase?

With concerns nationally for silage quality and feed stocks, we could see cow throughputs stay firm at current levels as producers cut numbers ahead of winter to cash in and take advantage of strong prices.

Price rises from deadweight cattle have also been reflected in liveweight markets with heifers standing at 198.0p/kg and young bulls at 185.9p/kg, a 2p increase for both. Beef sired cows saw the largest increase, up 6p to 140.8p/kg.

Despite the USDA revising their US maize production figures which reckoned on a 27% fall in production, markets have had little effect due to early predictions by analysts meaning the fall in production had largely been priced into the market already.

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