Livestock Price Data

Organic Livestock Prices

February/March 2023

	£ / kg Data courtesy of OLMC
Beef - Finished (under 30 months)	£5.10 (R4L Base)
Cull Cow (OTM in spec)	£4.00 (R4L)
Beef - Stores	See store cattle report below
Lambs - Finished OSL	£5.40 (R3L)
Lambs - Finished NSL	(R3L Base)

N.B. Prices serve as a guide only and are averaged from information collected from key producers and traders.

Market Summaries

Courtesy of OLMC. For further information on the marketing of finished stock, please call: 01763 250313 / 07850 366404 www.olmc.co.uk

Please note prices accurate when report was written but due to the volatility currently prices may alter.

Prime Cattle

The prime stock market remained steady throughout the Christmas period. The flow of slaughter stock was hampered a little by fewer killing days due to Christmas holidays which delayed cattle movements for some producers by a couple of weeks.

Demand has increased as we get into January and OLMC will be looking for further supplies of prime organic cattle from February onwards to fulfil current projected demands.

Many will be trying to assess forage stocks at this time, the general picture being that the situation will be tight. Another hot dry summer would not be welcome, as there will be little carry over.

Generally we are receiving well finished stock, however weights are slightly lower than other years, yet again a likely consequence of last summer.

Cull cow

The demand for cull cows has increased through January. The price has firmed as supplies have become shorter. Processor demand for cull cow meat has continued at its pre-Christmas levels and would look to increase as sales of cheaper cuts of meat to the consumer grow stronger.

Lamb

Post-Christmas demand for organic lamb has been disappointing, this coupled with a flush of organic finished lambs creating over supply, has weakened the trade levels.

One factor that has upset the flow of supplies are the cold snaps we have experienced. These have not helped the forage situation, killing off or slowing down cover crops and roots in many parts of the country.

The price will move forward but looks to be at a slower pace than we have experienced in past years

(26 January)

Store Cattle Report

Courtesy of Peter Jones (working in conjunction with OLMC). For further information on the marketing of organic store cattle, please contact Peter Jones or Rachel Cooke: 01829 730580 / 07720 892922 www.peterjoneslivestock.com

The demand for all categories of organic store cattle continues unabated. The week on week rise of the finished price along with strong demand from processors is keeping the requirement for store cattle relentless.

As I have reported on a number of occasions, the high value of barren cows and the lack of profitability in some breeding herds is causing a reduction in cow numbers in organic herds throughout the UK. The position is simple to see – less cows means less calves, less store cattle and less finished stock available to keep adequate supplies of organic beef on the shelves.

OLMC are routinely monitoring store cattle prices and our analysis of prices between the New Year and now show an increase in average prices of at least £100 per head and more in some cases. Beef prices have made a quantum leap in the last two years and whilst there may be a period of stability and small ‘peaks and troughs’, current levels look likely to be the new norm.

The organic lamb finished trade continues to be subdued with prices well back on recent years and at times below the five year average. After four or five years of good returns for producers the national flock has increased to very high levels and simply producing more lambs than the market can absorb. In the short term, Easter, the Kings Coronation, and the Festival of Eid should bring back some bite to the trade. Going forward it is noticeable that the ewe scannings are showing a trend of lower lamb yields so price predictions for the next year are more optimistic.

We are always happy to discuss your marketing options for any class of stock.

For all your organic store cattle, store lambs and dairy stock please contact:

Peter Jones – office 01829 730 580 / mob 07720 892 922

David Bostock – office 01829 730 580 / mob 07734 808 050

(23 March)

OLMC's sum-up of the 2022 lamb trade

It all started so well this year. That’s what many sheep keepers were saying when they finished lambing. Crops had generally been good, and fortunately for most shepherds, there were none of those awful days and nights when both wind and rain combine causing lambs to get separated from their mothers, and turning what was a very decent lamb crop into a very ordinary one.

With UK inflation running at around 10% during the last few months flock owners would have settled for that but with lamb creep increasing by around £100 per ton, fertilizer more than doubling in price and massive fuel prices increases, profitability could only remain at 2021 levels if lamb prices improved. Unfortunately this didn’t happen and for several periods this year we have seen finished lamb prices below last year’s levels.

For those farmers who finish their lambs off grass, the lack of rain meant using some of their silage ground, and by September even lowland flocks were eating into winter rations to maintain body condition in their ewes at tupping. There are already reports circulating that there will be more barren ewes this autumn as a direct result of the drought. This lack of early lambs could help those farmers who have purchased long keep lambs as it could boost the late hogget trade.

Overall the number of Hogget and lambs slaughtered are 2.2% up on last year, and November did see finished lamb prices firm, but before we get too excited fat lamb prices are still 9% below last year and although it looks as though feed prices will level off, nobody would like to say where agricultural inflation is going.

(Ian Turner of OLMC, December 19 2022)