Aidan Murray, Teagasc Beef Specialist, joins Catherine Egan to talk about beef summer budgets on the latest Beef Edge podcast on 4, May 2022. Together they discuss what beef price you can afford to pay for stock, what impact costs will have on the bottom line, and what price will be needed to cover these costs.
Aidan explains that the national kill has increased by 58,000 cattle so far this year, and while obviously costs have risen, he compares how prices have increased in comparison to this time in 2021 with an increase of €200/head paid at purchase.
Farmers that are doing up budgets at the moment are buying a continental steer 550kgs and paying €1,573 or €2.86kg needing €5.02 for a breakeven price.
A similar price would be needed for heifers.
Aidan outlines that farmers only buying these type of steers next October and finishing them over the winter would need a breakeven price of €5.43 in spring 2023.
He also advises farmers that they need to maximise weight gain from grass steers over the summer and make high quality silage to feed to cattle intended to finish next winter.
Listen to the podcast here.
For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page here.