Beef / Lamb & Pig Price Tracker

[gone up the hill]

It’s a bad job if you only buy cheap native cattle on the off chance one snuffs it and its less outlay

Aye but its true and of course down here you could buy a 10 month old £1000 animal, turn it out, gets TB 6 months later and you get £700 for it.. The better the cattle are the more you are hammered under the valuation tables and you have to take all this into account when deciding which animals to buy.

 

[Smith31]

I know that no 2 years are the same but what has changed so much in 12 months is it simple supply and demand its been a kind winter and so there are more big lambs around? or has the market for big lambs dried up

Traditionally a lot of bigger lambs were preferred by the smaller abattoirs and their catering customers, unfortunately these outlets are dying out. The killing charge and haulage were the same as smaller lambs, so they worked out better value. These customers also had an outlet full the full carcass which is rare these days, so customers don't want to buy big lambs and be left over with large amounts of unsaleable cuts.

I maybe wrong but that is my expereience of the trade, all the big lamb outlets we supplied 10/15 years ago have ceased trading.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I maybe wrong but that is my expereience of the trade, all the big lamb outlets we supplied 10/15 years ago have ceased trading.

So why were they knocking each other out for them last year?

 

[Smith31]

So why were they knocking each other out for them last year?

The smaller hoggs were silly money that has a knock on effect.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

The smaller hoggs were silly money that has a knock on effect.

No the big hoggs were silly money

 

[cattleman123]

No the big hoggs were silly money

Yes the bigger they were the more they wanted them

 

[Smith31]

No the big hoggs were silly money

I can not remember them being the same price as export type hoggs

 

[Gedd]

That's a lot better than back 10p mentioned earlier in the week on here!

Woodheads stand on

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I can not remember them being the same price as export type hoggs

I remember getting well over £3 a kilo for over 50 kilo hoggs

 

[Smith31]

I remember getting well over £3 a kilo for over 50 kilo hoggs

What breed were they? Good quality exceptional big hoggs still command a premium.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

What breed were they? Good quality exceptional big hoggs still command a premium.

Mainly Texel x, some beltex x

 

[Smith31]

Mainly Texel x, some beltex x

Like I said I am only going by my experience of the big lamb trade, in your neck of the country there were Clevland Meats, Teeside Meats, Northern Counties, Busby Stoop etc who were all big lamb buyers, they have sadly all gone.

The larger abattoirs have weight limits unless they are desperate. Last year they were deseperate.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Like I said I am only going by my experience of the big lamb trade, in your neck of the country there were Clevland Meats, Teeside Meats, Northern Counties, Busby Stoop etc who were all big lamb buyers, they have sadly all gone.

The larger abattoirs have weight limits unless they are desperate. Last year they were deseperate.

Cleveland meats trade will of been taken up by another local abattoir who I heard is having a big expansion

 

[Smith31]

Mainly Texel x, some beltex x

If farmers breed good shaped, quality Texel, Beltex and Charolais they would still command a premium for big hoggs. The further north the better the quality upto around Dingwall.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

If farmers breed good shaped, quality Texal, Beltex and Charolais they would still command a premium for big hoggs. The further north the better the quality upto around Dingwall.

Yes we try to improve the quality every year

 

[Smith31]

Yes we try to improve the quality every year

I've seen some of your stock its up there with the best regardless of weight it will command a premium.

 

[gone up the hill]

Yes we try to improve the quality every year

Your lambs are in the top 1% nationally for quality no doubt about it

 

[gone up the hill]

What breed were they? Good quality exceptional big hoggs still command a premium.

Point is that only the very very best are selling at anything like the levels they should be.

Crazy that so many large hogs are currently making less money than hogs 10 kilos or lighter.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Your lambs are in the top 1% nationally for quality no doubt about it

Definitely not that good, plenty of people breeding better

 

[Smith31]

Point is that only the very very best are selling at anything like the levels they should be.

Crazy that so many large hogs are currently making less money than hogs 10 kilos or lighter.

Have farmers held on to hoggs for too long waiting for a lift? resulting in the market being flooded with heavies?