BEEF FARMERS have been receiving record prices from meat plants over the past few weeks because of a scarcity of animals and a growth in international demand.
For the first time in living memory, farmers are being paid more than €4 a kilo for top grade stock as the weekly kill at meat plants dropped by 9 per cent.
The Irish Farmers Association is predicting prices will remain high. The Irish Farmers Journal reported prices are €220 to €250 more now than they were for market-ready animals this time last year.
It quoted industry sources as saying prices may increase further as factories attempt to build supplies ahead of the high-volume Christmas trade.
The price increase for stock is having an impact on consumer prices at home where consumers are switching to cheaper cuts or other meat to stay within household budgets.
The latest report from the Irish Food Board, which monitors the retail trade, found shoppers purchased meat more often in the 12 weeks up to August 7th last, recording a 5 per cent volume increase.
“This upward trend is driven mainly by increased volumes of pork (20 per cent) and bacon joints (12 per cent) bought over the period.
“Smaller increases are also evident for rashers (6 per cent) and beef recorded the lowest increase at (2 per cent),” said the Bord Bia market monitor report.
“While steak, joints and mince still dominate beef sales, volume sales of beef burgers have also increased in the quarter to August by 46 per cent with purchases of stewing/casserole beef up by 40 per cent.”
It reported for the year ending August 2011 that households had spent €1.112 million on purchases of meat.
It found one of the main drivers of pork sales over the last year had been an increase in the number of shoppers in the category, with 72 per cent of households purchasing over the period.
“Although from a very low base, volume sales of pork ribs and belly have more than doubled in the last quarter, illustrating shoppers’ willingness to buy lesser used cuts,” it went on.