26 February 2013

3 minute read

Europe

Over the past couple of weeks deadweight prices for cattle in Scotland and the UK have moved up to stand around 7 per cent  higher than this time last year, according to Stuart Ashworth, Head of Economics Services, QMS.

Setting the scene, Mr Ashworth said Scottish slaughter statistics for January had shown a 0.5 per cent increase in the prime kill with an increase of 2.5 per cent reported by Northern Ireland.

In contrast, volumes slaughtered in England and Wales were 6 per cent lower than last year. However, carcase weights have fallen by around 2 per cent, so across the UK as a whole, beef supplies remained 3 per cent lower than last year during January.

“Since then the Scottish price reporting abattoirs have reported an increase of four per cent in the kill compared to last year with English and Welsh price reporting abattoirs showing a 2.5 per cent increase,” said Mr Ashworth.

“Therefore, during February the volume of beef produced is likely to have increased. With prices remaining firm this increased supply points to an underlying strength in the marketplace.”

The lamb market is also showing some strength.

“Lamb slaughter volumes across the UK during January were 125,000 head (13 per cent) higher than last year which is beginning to make useful inroads into the increased carryover of hoggs into 2013,” he said.

As with cattle, carcase weights have fallen three to four per cent so the increase in meat production is slightly less than the increase in stock availability.

Price reporting abattoirs show that the number of hoggs reaching abattoirs during February has continued to be more than 15 per cent above last year’s levels and at the same time the producer price has increased by more than seven per cent.

A similar pattern has emerged in Ireland where Irish export abattoirs have handled seven per cent more cattle and 25 per cent more hoggs since the turn of the year but market prices have improved.

Irish cattle prices remain four to six per cent higher than twelve months ago and although hogg prices are well down on last year they have increased since the start of the year.

“The producer to processor market in both the UK and Ireland, is giving a clear message of firm demand for both beef and lamb,” observed Mr Ashworth.

A number of factors have contributed to this price improvement.

“From a UK perspective the dramatic weakening of Sterling from around 81p per Euro at the start of the year to 87p at the time of writing has helped our exporters.

“A tightening of supply in many European markets is also helping. For example, French beef production fell six per cent in 2012 and is expected to fall a further 1.8 per cent in 2013,” he said.

Other important markets like Germany and Italy are also expected to produce less beef in the first half of 2013 than 2012 all creating further opportunity for beef exporters from the UK and Ireland.

“Similarly French sheepmeat production fell four per cent in 2012 and is expected to fall a further one per cent in 2013. With the Spanish ewe flock also continuing to decline export opportunities are likely to emerge; provided the exchange rate remains favourable to the UK,” said Mr Ashworth.

On the home market, latest information from market research company, Kantar, suggests greater interest among consumers in buying prime cuts of beef. The volume of beef sold increased by two per cent in the past three months compared with one year earlier despite the retail price continuing to be four to five per cent higher than twelve months ago.

Retail sales of lamb have also increased significantly in the past quarter as the average retail price slipped below year earlier levels in response to the lower farmgate price. Nevertheless, the current state of the retail and currency markets suggests that current prices for cattle and sheep are sustainable.

TheCattleSite News Desk