Beef / Lamb & Pig Price Tracker

Location
Devon
Is it a bad idea to send calves to market over Easter weekend?

Id rather not be feeding them and I imagine that potential buyers might feel the same .

Trade is good, Easter wont make any difference, get them gone if they are ready to sell.

Calve numbers have halved at most markets when they really should be rising every week, sooner or later these calves will hit the market.
 
Location
Devon
Chanced a trip to oswestry market not been for a month, not because of the virus I'm just anti social.

50kg Hoggs £90
47kg (better) Hoggs £92
33kg Hoggs (daughters cades) £66

Cull ewes.
Best made £135
Poorest made £60
One dyer 20quid
Averaged £89
Glad to have had a clear out.
Pleased with the trade and the market staff who ensured people to people contact was kept to a minimum.

Were you buying as well today @mixed breed ??
 
Location
Devon
You having a laugh.
Treat everyone the same is the fairest policy.

Due to the 2 meter rule currently in place that is just not possible at this time

A sale ring that can hold say 3/400 people in normal times will struggle to get 50 people in with the current 2 meter rule.

No one is happy with the current status about only buyers being allowed in but if markets don't stick to it then they will all end shut down and NON of us want that to happen.

Government are now in a right mess over this lockdown, will cost 40 billion in just the next 3 months for the 80% wage thing when they thought it would be 10 billion, all in I reckon it will cost the country in support payments 30 billion a month as long as the status quo goes on so I cant see them paying that out for long.

I suspect @Henarar that the 2 meter rule will stay in place for markets until the schools go back which could well be early July with no summer break but a 3/4 week school closure in Oct.
 
You think easter is gonna have a bigger effect than the fact they are out of jerseys? :ROFLMAO:


Shhh. Surprisingly they don't say jersey X on the passport. I never expect a lot for them but £50 is still a lot better than £5.

I topped the market last year with a couple of 12 week old BB bulls that went for £450. I guarantee I was the only one that made money on that calf.
 

Celt83

Member
Livestock Farmer
Trade is good, Easter wont make any difference, get them gone if they are ready to sell.

Calve numbers have halved at most markets when they really should be rising every week, sooner or later these calves will hit the market.
I think that the spring dairy boys are going to keep them longer and feed some of the milk the buyers are telling them to dump.

Makes sense to turn some of that milk into money.
 

organic

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Powys
Fury as Asda and Sainsbury's stock up on imported POLISH beef while British farmers struggle in coronavirus crisis - despite shoppers REJECTING it on shelves
  • UK beef farmers slam 'unacceptable' move by supermarkets to stock Polish meat
  • National Beef Association warns: 'Do not play a part in killing British agriculture'
  • Sainsbury's says it has 'temporarily introduced additional lines for customers'
  • NFU says retailers insist they haven't moved away from 'commitment to British'
By Mark Duell for MailOnline

Supermarkets including Asda and Sainsbury's are stocking up on imported Polish beef while British farmers struggle through the coronavirus pandemic.
UK beef farmers told the chains that the move is 'unacceptable', adding: 'Please do not play a part in killing British agriculture. Remember, once it's gone, it's gone.'
Supermarkets have faced 'overwhelming customer demand' for certain cuts of beef, particularly mince - which is mirrored by huge sales for pasta and tinned tomatoes.
One agricultural law firm tweeted a picture of reduced Polish beef on the shelves, telling Sainsbury's: 'Looks like no one wants your c**p Polish beef! We wonder why?'
A Derbyshire-based agricultural law firm tweeted a picture of reduced Polish beef on the shelves, telling Sainsbury's: 'Looks like no one wants your c**p Polish beef! We wonder why?'


A Derbyshire-based agricultural law firm tweeted a picture of reduced Polish beef on the shelves, telling Sainsbury's: 'Looks like no one wants your c**p Polish beef! We wonder why?'
Nigel Davis Solicitors, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire, added: 'Try selling good home grown British beef - you can't beat it. Although we'd always recommend people to buy it from a proper butcher and not somewhere that thought to import this!'



Simon Hoare, the Conservative MP for North Dorset, also tweeted: 'Milk is being poured away by some in North Dorset and I'm told Sainsbury's has Polish milk and beef. In the words of (Trade Secretary) Liz Truss, THAT. IS. A. DIS. GRACE!'

And Somerset farmer James Windslade said: 'Polish beef being imported by the supermarkets - come on supermarkets and Government, support British farmers.'

It comes as Tesco revealed this morning that 'significant panic-buying' in recent weeks cleared its supply chain of certain items as sales jumped by 30 per cent.

The National Beef Association, which represents UK beef farmers, has written to bosses at Sainsbury's and Asda asking why they have bought meat from Poland.

It said in a letter: 'It is unacceptable to us as an organisation, and, we suspect, to the British population, that you would choose to import beef from abroad at this time.

People look at empty shelves in a Sainsbury's in Walthamstow, East London, on March 20


People look at empty shelves in a Sainsbury's in Walthamstow, East London, on March 20


'Currently, there are no definitive answers on how Covid-19 may or may not be transmitted - are you able to guarantee the safety of imported food?

'Can you confirm and evidence that the source farms in Poland comply with the same rigorous conditions that British farms must adhere to in order to be able to supply your stores?

'Unfortunately for you, this gaffe has come at a time when the country seems to be pulling together in a flush of patriotic fervour; supplying imported mince is perceived as out of tune with current thinking, and people have plenty of time to spread the news.

'At a later date, when the crisis is over and the luxury of choice is handed back to the public, perhaps they will remember which supermarkets backed Britain.'

The move was also slammed by the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association, which criticised the ABP Food Group for bringing in Polish beef to meet shortages.

Simon Hoare, the Conservative MP for North Dorset, also tweeted: 'Milk is being poured away by some in North Dorset and I'm told Sainsbury's has Polish milk and beef'



Simon Hoare, the Conservative MP for North Dorset, also tweeted: 'Milk is being poured away by some in North Dorset and I'm told Sainsbury's has Polish milk and beef'
ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham said: 'Why have they shown contempt for Irish farmers whose hard work has made billionaires out of their owners?

'This is a new low at a time when everyone else in the country is working together.'

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: 'We have a long history of supporting British suppliers and we remain committed to sourcing British as much as we possibly can.

'We have experienced exceptionally high demand for certain cuts of meat in the last few weeks so we have temporarily introduced additional lines for our customers to choose from.

'We will go back to offering our usual range as soon as possible, while balancing our commitment to meeting demand and helping to feed the nation.'

An Asda spokesman told MailOnline: 'In March there was an increased demand for food across the supermarket sector as customers stocked up on their essentials, which included some beef products.

'Our main priority during these uncertain times is to ensure we can provide groceries week-in, week-out for our customers, so to ensure we had enough supply we took a small amount of beef from additional suppliers to meet the demand.

'We are committed to sourcing British wherever possible and we know how important this is to our customers which is why all of our products are clearly labelled.'

Somerset-based  farmer James Windslade tweeted: 'Polish beef being imported by the supermarkets - come on supermarkets and Government, support British farmers'



Somerset-based farmer James Windslade tweeted: 'Polish beef being imported by the supermarkets - come on supermarkets and Government, support British farmers'
And National Farmers' Union chief livestock adviser John Royle said: 'Our meat supply chains have not been immune to the disruption seen in retail and food supply chains in recent weeks and many will be aware that there has been some Polish beef and poultry meat stocked by some UK retailers.

'We have challenged this apparent change in sourcing policy. We are aware of the overwhelming customer demand for beef mince and poultry meat that outstripped the processors' capacity to meet demand – in particular for mince.

'The retailers involved have indicated that this is a one off, and haven't moved away from their standard sourcing policies nor their commitment to British.

'British farmers are prepared and enthusiastic to meet any increased retail demand and are committed to meet the needs of consumers.

'We're urging retailers and processors to build resilience now to manage any future disruptive buying behaviour and help improve availability of product through this difficult time.'

In January last year, a Polish abattoir was accused of handling sick cows, with the meat then imported to 11 EU countries excluding Britain.

Poland identified 9.5 tonnes of beef from the plant, which was later closed down, and 2.5 tonnes of this was exported.

Secret filming by broadcaster Polish TVN 24 revealed how cows that were too sick to stand being dragged from lorries into the slaughterhouse.
 

Celt83

Member
Livestock Farmer
I agree and that's what I would do in that situation.

Better they do that than cull cows as that will just make the beef job even worse than it currently is!
Yeah that's right. I think some of the big boys will have to cull a bit as I read somewhere some buyers are asking for a 3% cut in production until May. At the beginning of spring!!

It might nacker the wean calf sales later on but we defo don't need the d/w price dropping any more!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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