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Weekly cattle & sheep market wrap – 19 December 2024
Thursday, 19 December 2024
Key points
Prices for week ending 14 December
- Prime cattle price gains slowed in the latest week, as slaughter remained high.
- Average deadweight lamb prices stayed rather stable as throughputs rose substantially on the week.
- Increased demand is adding further support to prices as the festive season approaches.
Cattle
GB deadweight prime cattle prices continued to rise in the week ending 14 December, but not at the rate seen over the previous month. The overall steer and heifer categories each rose by 3p on the week to average 547p/kg and 541p/kg, respectively. This followed average weekly gains of around 6p seen since the end of November.
Looking regionally, gains were seen across the board for steers and heifers, but southern and Scottish young bull values lost some ground.
Cow prices continued their upward streak, with the overall GB average price at 368p/kg for the week ending 14 December. This put the measure up 74p on the same week a year ago, and up 43p against the same week in 2022.
Estimated slaughter of prime cattle in GB fell back slightly (-200 head) to 34,200 head. Despite being back on the week, this was 1,100 head more cattle versus the same week a year ago. Meanwhile, estimated cow slaughter grew slightly (+100 head) to 12,200 head, 400 head higher on the year.
Sheep
Meanwhile, sheep prices stayed rather stable, with the GB deadweight new season SQQ down just 1p to average 690p/kg for the week ending 14 December. The measure remained 105p above the same week a year ago.
Estimated clean sheep slaughter rose substantially for the second week running, up 10% from the week prior to total 284,600 head. This was still 11% lower year-on-year. Numbers typically rise at this point in the year; with just one week to go until the Christmas period, demand for meated lambs is reportedly robust. However, the recent poor weather has seemingly taken its toll on quality in some cases. Reports suggest trade has remained strong for the last kill week before Christmas (w/e 21 December).
Elsewhere, indicators of the export trade point to firm demand at present, with prices for lambs out of Rungis wholesale market strengthening over the past week. European lamb prices are strong generally, on the back of reduced core supply and increased festive demand.
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