Martin Coughlan

A factory agent told me one time that farmers generally sell cattle to factories for one of three reasons: “The want for money, the want for space or the want for feed.”

With mart numbers continuing to fall, those that do appear larger are in many cases skewed by bigger-than-normal calf numbers.

As factory prices stabilised at €6.20/kg for bullocks and €6.30/kg for heifers at the start of June, I asked one factory agent if prices might increase further.

Having set out their stall following cuts of 20c/kg to lamb quotes on Monday the ICM group stated at that time that another 20c/kg reduction in quotes for lamb would come into effect on Wednesday.

Cattle numbers presenting at the country's beef-exporting plants continue to fall, with prices rising in response.

Two topics dominated mart conversations last week. The first was the lift in factory prices and how that had, in turn, pushed up mart prices.

Factory quotes for sheep held firm yesterday although, as can be seen from our price table, the only processors in a position to quote were the ICM Group.