AHDB reports a stabilising of cattle prices in the week ending 30th April
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The downward pressure on finished prices that has characterised the cattle trade in recent weeks appears to have eased. In week ended 30 April the GB overall prime cattle average was down less than a penny on the week earlier at 309.8p/kg. Lower steer prices were the primary driver behind the latest decrease, overall steer prices lost just over a penny on the week at 310.8p/kg. Despite this, steers meeting R4L classification did fare better, showing some stability on the week earlier, edging down just a fraction at 322.0p/kg. This is the first week of ‘stability’ for these types since early March.
The trade for heifers and young bulls appears to be even more finely balanced with the overall average for both only losing a fraction on the week earlier at 312.7p/kg and 292.6p/kg respectively. The latest slowdown in price declines and reports of some booking queues starting to dissipate could point to signs that the trade is close to finding some stability for now. This certainly offers better news for producers given that estimated throughputs of prime cattle over the past couple of weeks have been relatively high in the region of 34,000 head, up around seven per cent on last year in both weeks.