Quoted pull 'We're seeing increased demand from our existing buyers and we have additional buyers up from the south looking to buy quality finished beef cattle of all ages'

Oliver Shearman, Caledonian Marts managing director

Finished beef cattle prices have risen more than 50p per deadweight kg over the past five months, but the tide may well have turned with some Scottish slaughter houses putting the brakes on this week – despite soaring demand in the live ring.

According to the latest figures from AHDB, the average Scottish R4L steer price appears to have peaked at 511.8p last week, while heifers of the same grade topped at 510.0p two weeks ago. Add in this week's 5p per kg fall quoted by some abattoirs which have still to come through the overall averages, and either supplies have soared, or, demand has diminished.

However, total slaughterings remain finely balanced with GB steers, heifers, young bulls and cows at -4.7%; +2.0%; +11.8% and -9.8%, respectively. The data from Scotland was nevertheless slightly up, and showed steers numbers down 6%; heifers up a massive 22%; young bulls up 2.5% and cows down 13.3%.

The overall prices quoted for steers, heifers, bulls and cows in Scotland, for the week ending May 27, were 508.9p (+0.8p); 508.0p (+1.4p); 500.6p (+1.4p) and 414.0p (-4.0p). These compare total steer, heifer, bull and cow numbers sold south of the Border, of 489.4p (-0.5p); 485.6p (-1.5p); 479.5p (-0.9p) and 386.6p (+1.3p).

Despite the somewhat mixed trade for cattle sold deadweight, the good news is, those sold through the live ring appear to gaining momentum with several markets highlighting an increased demand and for more sold.

Oliver Shearman, managing director at Cally Marts' Stirling Auction Mart, told The Scottish Farmer, Scottish cattle sold through the live are now attracting the premium prices they deserve.

"We're seeing increased demand from our existing buyers and we have additional buyers up from the south looking to buy quality finished beef cattle of all ages. A 29-month-old bull is now making the same amount as a 13-month-old bull and we're selling 20-30 head of cattle extra a week compared to this time last year.

"I've really enjoyed selling the prime cattle over the past few weeks as they are so easy sold purely because we've had such a good show of quality cattle forward and more buyers looking for them. I can't see the trade dropping anytime soon the way things are going," added Mr Shearman.

Such was the demand for clean cattle at Caledonian Marts' last prime sale that heifers sold to 362p per kg to average 299p; bullocks peaked at 345p and levelled at 303p and bulls balanced out at 320p, from a 325p top.

Further north, at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' Thainstone Centre, trade was described as 'electric' with the entry of 101 head meeting a 'phenomenal demand' and again to supply an increasing number of buyers from south of the Border.

At the last sale, bullocks averaged 306.8p, up a massive 31.3p on the week, having sold to 333p per kg, while heifers levelled at 296.2p with a lead of 331p. Bulls sold to 301p to average 265p, up 16p on the previous seven days.