CHRISTMAS time is usually full of cheer for producers when trade for both prime cattle and prime lambs picks up as butchers and processors snap up stock to keep them going during the festive period, but the latest Quality Meat Scotland analysis indicates that trade during the festive season has been decidedly steady. 
This year’s seasonal deadweight prime cattle price, while being 10p per kg higher than the same period last year, have been lower in the run up to Christmas than during the end of October, according to QMS head of economic servicers, Stuart Ashworth. 
One of the main influencing factors is likely to be the number of cattle heading to abattoirs during the two periods, as the number of cattle slaughtered, and indeed the weights of those carcases, during the month of October was much lower than that of 12 months earlier. Compare this to November and December and the number of prime cattle heading to slaughter is currently ahead of this time last year, said Mr Ashworth. 
Adding to this, the reduction in average carcase weights will further offset growth in animal numbers when the overall volume of beef produced is considered. 
“A further influence is the movement in sterling:euro exchange rates. Since October sterling has strengthened 3.5%, reducing the competitiveness of UK meat in the European community market and acting as a drag on farmgate prices,” Mr Ashworth commented. 
“In the beef market there is often an increase in imports from Ireland during December, in which case again the recent movement in exchange rates will have had an effect of competitiveness.” 
There does, however, seem to be some Christmas cheer in the live auction rings as the latest round of Christmas prime cattle shows and sales have produced some outstanding trade as butchers snap up show leaders for display in their shops. 
With the winners from this fortnight’s shows all selling for more than £2000 per head and 300p-400p per kg, it was the reserve champion from Lawrie and Symington’s Forfar mart that secured the best price of the season when a 584kg Limousin cross bullock from D Lumgair and Sons, Gask, sold to Falconer Family Butchers, Arbroath, for £2774 or 475p per kg. 
It’s a different story in the lamb sector as prime lambs traded at slightly more value than this time last year, but notably lower than at the end of September. 
“One influence will be the volume of animals available to processors,” pointed out Mr Ashworth. 
“In late September and October, UK abattoirs were killing fewer lambs per week than last year and carcase weights were lower, leading to prices being supported by constrained supply.
“In the run-up to Christmas, marketings have increased and, based on the proportion of lambs falling outside the SQQ weight range at auction markets, carcase weights have increased as well.” 
As with the Christmas cattle sales, the season’s shows and sales of prime lambs have mostly drawn to a close with show leaders again hitting the high notes, selling for above £115 per head and most hitting 300p per kg and above. 
Best of the trade, per kg, at 369p was paid for the winning pair at Harrison and Hetherington’s St Boswells centre – 42kg Beltex crosses from Jimmy and Graeme Sinclair, Crookston, which sold to John Henderson Butchers, North Berwick – while the winning trio from Lawrie and Symington, Lanark, were 47kg Millenium Bleu crosses from Alistair Walker, High Park Farms, that made £160 to Country Refreshments, Lanark. 
There are, however, changes in the way consumers buy their meat as retail prices for beef have seen some of the cheaper cuts fall in price while lamb prices showed the greatest year-on-year increase in November, but maintaining the volume of sales has been challenging. 
Mr Ashworth concluded: “While Christmas may still have its sparkle, it is the basic building blocks of supply, demand and global competitiveness which shape the red meat trading environment during the festive season.”