Pressure on prices remains for heavy livestock

WITH more boats set to set sail for Turkey over the coming weeks, the ongoing prospects for the weanling trade look reasonably solid, according to Galway IFA Livestock Committee Chairman, Michael Flynn.

Last week, Ireland’s second boatload of cattle left the Louth port of Greenore heading for Turkey and consisting of 3,000 bull weanlings.

According to Michael Flynn the Turkish export outlet – in addition to the normal export outlets in continental Europe – had put a solid floor on the market while store cattle were also doing a good trade.

“I suppose where the pressure is being felt is with the sellers of heavier beef cattle – this is where the factories are having an influence with their downward price pressure,” said Michael Flynn.

He said that in the week before last (Oct. 10/16) there was a huge kill of 35,700 cattle, possibly prompted by the wet weather forecasts for that weekend.

“At this stage, we expect the kills to taper off significantly once farmers start to house stock. When this happens, the number of cattle going to the meat plants, will decrease a lot.

“There also has been a tendency with some farmers to sell cattle to the factories that just aren’t fit for killing and this has also added to the high supply levels. But if you have animals that are fit to kill, then our advice is to bargain hard for the best price,” said Michael Flynn.

He also pointed out that Brexit – and the subsequent drop in value of sterling – also had impacted negatively on the trade to Northern Ireland, normally very busy at this time of the year.

“We do have a lot of young stock moving and with the live export trade looking quite positive, we expect that competition for cattle will pick up, especially in the run-up to the Christmas market,” said Michael Flynn.

Exporters to the Turkish market are understood to be buying weanlings directly from Irish farms, looking for bulls under the 350kg mark. As well as the usual continental breeds, they are also taking Herefords and Angus of reasonably good quality, but a step down from the prime continental markets like Italy.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.