Throughput at the marts was high last week as quality stores met with strong demand and good prices.
Continental store steers made €2.20-2.80/kg, with top animals making up to and over €3/kg, but plain stock struggled to make up to €2/kg. Heavy coloured steers made €2-2.50/kg.
The best fat cull cows hit up to €2/kg. Weanlings for export sold for €2.70-3.20/kg in the main.
Farmers paid €2.30-2.70 for continental types, while plainer lots sold for €1.80-2/kg.
Friesian bull calves sold for €100-250 while continental suck calves made €300-400. Most of the suckler cows with a calf at foot were sold for €1,200-1,500.
DEMAND
The 180 cattle on offer at Dowra Mart met a strong farmer demand from locals as well as from Northern Ireland. Heavy bullocks made €1.90-2.35/kg and lighter fancy lots sold for €2-2.80/kg.
Weanling bulls over 550kg sold for €2-2.45/kg, while weanlings of 400-550kg moved at €2-2.60/kg.
A few top-quality lots made as high as €3.20/kg.
Weanlings under 400kg sold for €2.20-3 and a few fancy Charolais calves made up to €3.40/kg.
Heifers over 550kg sold for €1.80-2.30/kg with the lots under 550kg selling for €2-2.70/kg.
Weanling heifers over 400kg made €2-2.80/kg, with lighter lots making €2.20-3.20/kg.
Buyers from the north and the midlands were prominent at Balla Mart, where prices were up, especially for heavier steers at €1.49-2.67/kg.
Good quality stores sold for €2.50-3.09/kg. Plainer lots sold for €1.52-2/kg.
The heaviest heifers traded at €1.51-2.66/kg. Lighter types made €2.07-2.78/kg.
Fat cull cows hit a high of €1,710, while the sucklers topped out at €1,690.
At the weanling sale, the majority of the light bulls sold for €1.89-2.95 but heavier lots made up to €2.24-3.26/kg.
Light heifers sold for €2-3.29/kg. Heavy weanling heifers made €1.89-2.79/kg.
Ballinakill had a strong trade for all classes, but particularly for forward stores.
Prices for these increased by €10-20/hd. Heavy bullocks sold for €2-2.50/kg.
Forward stores moved at €1.80-2.65/kg, while lighter lots made €1.80-2.90/kg.
Beef heifers sold for €2-2.30/kg and stores sold for €1.70-2.35/kg.
Weanling bulls made €1.90-2.60/kg while heifers made €1.60-2.30/kg.
Cull cows sold for €1.50-1.85/kg.
At the special suckler sale of 80 in-calf heifers at Carnew Mart, prices ranged from €1,250-2,250.
Weanling bulls sold for €700-1,000 over their weight for top quality lots and plainer types sold back to €350 over.
Heifers sold for €320-850 with the €/kg.
Beef bullocks sold for €550-1,010 over the €/kg and well-fleshed heifers fit for slaughter made €480-950 with the weight. Stores sold for €320-770 over.
CONTINENTAL
The best continental store bullocks made up to €830 over their weight and less fancy types sold for €260-500 over.
Finished cull cows made up to €980 over the €/kg, while feeders moved at €250-500 over the weight.
Friesian bull suck calves made €110-240, continental bull calves made €230-460 and continental heifers made €220-405/hd.
Ballymote Mart had plenty of customers for winter feeding cattle. Bullocks under 400kg sold for €300-740 over their weight.
Lots weighing 400-500kg made €350-740 over the €/kg and steers weighing 500-600kg sold for €500-835 over.
Heavier types made up to €880 over.
- Joe Healy
Source: irishindependent.
Back to News Headlines