As indicated last week, the quotes from buyers at the plants for clean cattle this week have been cut.

This puts the U-3 grade steer’s best quote at 320p/kg, with heifers at 322p/kg. However, one plant is at 318p for both steers and heifers.

High weekly kill

The reason for the price cuts mainly relates to the larger numbers of cattle coming forward for slaughter, with the kill last week at 8,277 head, up 650 on the previous week and the highest weekly kill since March.

Included in the higher numbers were slightly over 2,000 cows, the biggest weekly cow slaughtering for five weeks.

However, despite increased numbers, the overall kill was similar to the kill in the same week in September 2014 and 700 head behind the same week in 2013.

Price gap

With a 40p/kg price gap to Britain and numbers expected to be tight later in the year, it seems that factories are making the best of it while they can. Farmers also report that factory agents are very reluctant at present to pay much above quoted base prices.

The weekly kill in NI continues to be boosted by imports of cattle from the south, with big numbers of 750 head in last week, the fourth week in succession it was in excess of 700 cattle.

Some 300 head went south and 307 head went across to Britain to take advantage of the much higher prices available there.

That is by far the highest weekly export figure this year.

The prices paid last week were little changed from recent weeks, with prime steers and heifers averaging 322.15p/kg, up 0.7p/kg on the previous week.

Top-grading U3 steers were at 330.6p/kg and U3 heifers at 335.6p/kg.

Quotes for fat cows remain steady and the best quote is 250p for an R grade and 240p/kg for an O+ grade cow.

Lamb trade steady

The fat lamb trade is steady this week and quotes at the plants remain at 310p/kg or £65.10/head at the 21kg weight limit. Buyers in the plants say the 21kg weight limit will hold for the immediate future.

In the marts, the trade at Kilrea and Rathfriland was up a little. It was unchanged in Saintfield and down slightly in Massereene.

In Kilrea, a show of 650 sold from 268p to 328p, up from 4p/kg for the heaviest weights.

Massereene had a big show, selling 1,102 head from 260p to 288p/kg, down 5p to 10p/kg.

In Saintfield, 723 lambs sold from 258p to 307p – unchanged. The best pen were Texels at 24kg and they made £64 or 267p/kg. Other lambs at 24.5kg made £65; at 23kg they made £62 to £63, while 21kg and 22kg made £60.

In Rathfriland, a show of 950 lambs sold from 267p to 340p and averaged 290p, up 4p/kg.

Ballymena, Wednesday, had a big show of over 2,000 lambs and early pens made £66 for 26.5kg, £64 for 24kg and £60 to £62 for 22kg. Good store lambs at 21kg made up to £59.50 a head.

Fat ewes prices are down slightly with top prices of £78 in Newtownstewart, £70 in Omagh, £90 in Kilrea, £82 in Massereene, £84 in Saintfield and £88 in Rathfriland.