Latest news with #IrishGrasslandAssociation
Agriland
11 hours ago
- Business
- Agriland
Factory insight on beef price and heavy carcass markets
Over 400 farmers from across Ireland attended the recent Irish Grassland Association (IGA) Beef Event in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, where they heard an interesting factory insight on beef price and heavy carcass markets. The event took place on Tuesday, June 10, on the 112ha farm of Tim Meagher, who is finishing 250 continental, suckler-bred cattle/year in a store-to-beef system. The farm finishes both heifers and steers sourced from the west of Ireland. The average grade for both heifers and steers is U=3= with an average steer carcass weight of 481kg in 2024. All cattle are sold to Dawn Meats and speaking at the event, the factory group development manager Paul Nolan explained why producing carcasses of this weight is now 'a specialist job'. He also gave an insight on how he sees beef prices faring in the near future. As beef finishers will know, producing beef carcasses over 400kg can cause issues with some processors, as these cattle can be deemed 'overweight' and face price cuts, in some cases. Heavy carcasses The Dawn Meats group development manager said: ' In terms of what Tim is producing here, I suppose I could give you a history lesson. 'Back 40 years ago, everybody wanted what Tim was doing because intervention was paying. The better the grade – the bigger the animal, the more money you got. 'But when we got into the real world, what we found was as retail and supermarkets grew – and that's where most of us are now doing our shopping – that there is a commonality and the commonality is that people are watching the price of a steak. 'So that tends to influence their purchasing choice and when we translate that back for the majority of markets, it is something that is somewhat lighter than what Tim is producing. 'But on the other side, there are niches for very-high quality, heavy beef [carcasses] on the continent. They're small, very demanding and the big thing – they want is consistency.' Nolan explained that marketing these heavy carcasses effectively requires a steady supply of a consistent product. He said: 'What we find with people like Tim is that you know what he has and therefore you have a chance of selling that on a continuous basis and getting a good return for it. 'The danger is we have some people who will come in with cattle that are not quite as good, we haven't been given the notice and it's very hard to market that properly.' What's the issue with the heavy carcass? Nolan explained why heavy carcasses can cause challenges when trying to retail the prime beef cuts of these. He said: 'The striploin of those animals 400-440kg are too big for the supermarkets so they end up going into the local carvery or local restaurant where they're sliced for roast beef rather than steaks.' He explained that where a processor is aware of heavy cattle coming in advance and the factory has an outlet, the subsequent prime cuts of beef of these heavier cattle 'actually end up at much higher value in Europe'. Beef price outlook Farmers always like to hear a factory-representatives' perspective on where beef price will go and while Nolan admitted he can not say for certain how the market will perform, he offered his insight and opinion on where the trade is currently at and where it may go. He said: 'Currently, retailers are struggling to hold back the full price that beef is now costing them and that therefore is now starting to hit the consumer and we are starting to see a bit of resistance. I think figures in the UK are starting to demonstrate that. 'In normal circumstances, if the product is too high, the price has to come down if we are to to move it. 'On the other side, not just across Europe but through major global beef producing countries at the moment, cattle [supplies] are tight. And they're going to be tight for the foreseeable. 'So I think there's a reasonable balance that says if you're to take a punt any year, this mightn't be the wrong one to do it. ' One farmer in attendance at the event highlighted the number of Irish weanlings that are being exported and noted that these cattle are going to countries that could potentially be market destinations for Irish beef. The Dawn Meats group development manager acknowledged the farmers' point saying: 'From our point of view, there's major haemorrhaging going on at the moment but the market is the market and he with the best price dictates.' 'The point I was making was with those animals going away, that prices are going to be reasonably stable here for the foreseeable – in my opinion.' Ideal factory carcass specification Nolan was asked for a comment on the ideal factory carcass specification and said: 'The general rule hasn't changed in the last coupe of years. 'Go back again to the fact most of us are buying our beef in the supermarket, so the feedback from that is we're looking for – in the ideal world – a 300-350 or 360kg carcass grading an O+ to an R+ or and fat score of 3 but a 4- is fine and that tends to suit the majority of markets at the very best.' 'There is room on both sides of that obviously.' He said: '60% of beef is from the dairy side and we are seeing a lot more cattle that suit the pockets of most of the consumers as I say. 'And the pluses about those is that if they're being done well, and the genetics is right that you're producing an animal you can kill younger, cutting down on the methane, turning over animals more quickly. The Dawn Meats group development manager noted that the cattle Tim is producing are 'very much specialist'. 'You need a very clear understanding with your factory that you will have them, when you have them, and see can they sell them basically. 'You don't want to turn up on the day and be told they're not what the supermarket want.' Nolan credited the host farmer for the major focus on grass-based weight gain for the beef cattle on his farm. 'Grass based is essential, As we know, it's the unique selling point of Irish beef and it's something that's recognised throughout the world or at least the world we operate in.,' Nolan said.
Agriland
09-05-2025
- General
- Agriland
Roscrea-based beef finisher to host IGA event on June 10
The Irish Grassland Association's (IGA's) annual beef event is set to take place outside Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, on the farm of Tim Meagher (Eircode: E53 V054) on Tuesday, June 10. The beef farm walk is set to kick off at 6:30p.m and conclude at approximately 8:30p.m. Flame-grilled Irish beef burgers will be served from 6:00p.m onwards – before the farm walk kicks off. The event is sponsored by FBD Insurance. Ahead of the event, IGA council member and Elanco Animal Health's Niall Claffey caught up with the host farmer to find out more about his beef farming system. Tim, his wife Shauna, and their four children operate a store-to-beef system on the 88ha of grassland and 24ha of tillage on the farm, which has been in the Meaghers' family for generations. The old farm system The farm was a suckler-beef enterprise when Tim took over the reins, and he increased suckler cow numbers to 90. These cows were predominately Limousin and were crossed with a Charolais stock bull. Replacement heifers were ran with an Angus bull. Weanlings were also purchased from the west of Ireland. At the time, the farm was also home to roughly 200 breeding ewes. However, over a decade ago, Tim moved to simplify the operation and focused on changing to a traditional store-to-beef enterprise – prioritising on incorporating as much grass into the diet as possible. All cattle are purchased from marts in the west of Ireland ,with a clear emphasis on buying-in quality cattle to the beef enterprise. Current beef system on the farm Heifers and bullocks are bought in September and October each year weighing in the 500-520kg weight bracket. These are then finished the following year from July to October as they come fit for slaughter. All cattle are slaughtered under 30 months-of-age. Some of the key figures are as follows: Number of cattle on farm: 250; Bullocks: 160; Heifers: 90; Number of paddocks: 43; Number of cattle/grazing group: 40-50. Strip wires are also used to achieve desired clean outs and to manage paddocks correctly. In the springtime, all cattle are grouped according to age to ensure easy management during the summer grazing period. To reduce the farms' dependence on purchased meal, 24ha of spring barley is sown on the farm each year. This grain is fed to the finishing cattle at grass along with soya hulls and minerals. The straw is baled at harvest and used to bed cattle over the winter months. Silage clover and animal health The farm has a big focus on making high-quality silage as winter feed. The aim is to produce silage with a dry matter digestibility (DMD) of 75% or above. High-quality silage available over the winter reduces the need for bought-in concentrates on the farm. Due to the difficult weather conditions in 2024, silage quality ranged from 68% to 73% DMD on the three cuts harvested last year. Tim started reseeding with clover in the early 2000s, and now both red and white clover play a pivotal role in both silage production and the grazing platform. Since incorporating clover into the system, he has reduced his dependence on chemical nitrogen (N), while not negatively impacting the amount of beef sold off the farm. Animal health protocols are strictly adhered to on the farm with a vaccination programme in place and and dosing is carried out as required. Tim has invested in a state-of-the-art handling facility to manage animals efficiently and safely. A slurry aeration system is used to agitate slurry on the farm, which is beneficial from a health and safety point of view and eliminates the need for agitation. Speaking ahead of the event, Trish O'Halloran from FBD Insurance said: 'At FBD, we're delighted to support the IGA Beef Event again in 2025. 'We recognise the important role that events like this play in fostering innovation, and collaboration within the farming community. 'Knowledge sharing and education empowers farmers to develop and maintain efficient, sustainable beef production systems, ensuring the continued success and global competitiveness of Ireland's beef industry for years to come.'
