The beef cattle trade has slipped significantly over the past three months with average prices for finished steers, heifers and young bulls in Scotland now a good 6p per kg liveweight less than they were this time last year and a whopping 12-20p per deadweight kg lower than in January.

However, while there is a glut of prime cattle waiting to be slaughtered at abattoirs up and down the country, the men in the know are blaming the ongoing recession as the main reason behind the continued, albeit gradual reduction in prices.

Figures from Quality Meat Scotland reveal that in the week ending April 10, this year, 3836 steers were slaughtered in Scottish abattoirs to average 282.1p per kg/dw against 4217 at 289.9p, during the same week in 2009, while 2322 heifers were killed to average 2821.8p per kg compared to 287.9p for 2686, last year.

This is in contrast to the trade at the end of last year which in general sat around 296p per kg with the best lots making in excess of 300p per kg/dw, at the turn of the hear.

The same holds true in the live ring with 283 steers having been sold to average 160.05p per kg at this beginning of April compard to 275 during the same time in 2009 which cashed in at 165.96p.

“Finished beef prices have been rising slowly for the past two years, we just didn’t expect the recession to hit us so bad,” said Jim Dunn, cattle auctioneer at Caledonian Marts, Stirling.

“Now we’ve got a situation where the retailers can’t sell as many of the best cuts and are even having to dice more of the good cuts of beef.”

Stuart Christie, president of the Scottish Federation of Meat Wholesalers added: “The red meat trade has definitely been quieter due to the recession, but it is the quality cuts that are suffering most. A side of beef still costs the same from the wholesaler, it’s just the cheaper cuts that have increased in price while the dearer cuts have come down, as more people switch to eating cheaper cuts such as stewing and minced beef.”