Cull cow prices slip back after June highs

Demand for cull cows has started to ease after several months of well-supported markets.

GB cow prices dropped 5.9p/kg to 361.7p/kg deadweight for the week ending 15 July, while throughputs were back slightly to total 7,537 head, with 3.6% less coming forward.

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The downwards trend was matched in the liveweight ring with dairy-sired cull cows down 1p/kg to average 146.6p/kg at GB auction markets for the week ending 18 July, according to the AHDB.

Beef-sired cull cows were also down 3.4p/kg on the week to average 182.6p/kg liveweight.

Liveweight prices have slipped back notably since the highs of June, when dairy- and beef-sired cull cows averaged 163.8p/kg and 200p/kg, respectively.

At Darlington Farmers Auction Mart on 17 July, 63 cows were sold with prices topping at 230p/kg.

Auctioneers say the beef trade is undoubtedly dipping, but all things considered, this week’s cast ring average of 179p/kg and £1,169 a head is far from disastrous and remains miles in front of any deadweight alternatives available.

Pressure on dairy sector

Low milk prices have been encouraging more cows to be sold out of the dairy herd.

In June, 3,408 dairy-sired cull cows were sold at GB auction markets, up by 38% on the previous month.

An increase in the number of herd dispersal sales has also been noted across the country.

Auctioneers, including Gwilym Richards, Kivells, Norton and Brooksbank, already have a number of dairy herd dispersal sales lined up for August.

On 17 July, the Dorset Dairy Co announced its intentions to sell its dairy herd and said it would source milk for its range of dairy products from Barber’s instead.

The company wrote on Twitter: “Along with many small family dairies, we have been struggling with the impact of raw milk prices dropping below the cost of production, with no end in sight to the rising costs of our inputs.”