Mart report: Weekend cattle trade from around the country – Agriland.ie

Reports on the cattle trade from marts around the country indicate numbers of cattle appearing at marts are remaining relatively strong for the time of year and demand is picking up, in particular where forward store and heavy cattle are concerned.

Balla Mart in Co. Mayo hosted its weekly cattle sale on Saturday, June 15, with cattle described as “a great trade for the time of year”.

Balla Mart’s Anthony Murphy said: “There was a lot of good strong cattle available, with some farmers selling saying ‘there was no feeding in the grass’ and taking advantage of the strong trade for heavy cattle.”

Heavy bullocks were making over the €3.30/kg and strong bidding from nothern customers for these was a great help to the trade.

Bullocks in the 300-400kg weight bracket averaged €3.02/kg and store bullocks in the 400-500kg weight bracket averaged €3.09/kg while heavier bullocks over 500kg averaged €3.01/kg.

A 335kg Limousin bullock born in November 2023, sold for €1,300 or €3.88/kg for a farmer from Swinford and this lot was secured by an export buyer.

A heavier 28-month-old bullock weighing 695kg made €2,350 or €3.38/kg for a Foxford farmer and bought by a northern customer.

Murphy noted that “the heifers were selling well and a lot of buyers were commenting that there was good stock in the sale”.

Lighter store heifers in the 300-400kg weight bracket averaged €3.03/kg and heifers in the 400-500kg weight bracket averaged €3.17/kg, while heifers weighing over 500kg averaged €3.12/kg.

A Belgian Blue-cross heifer for weighing 535kg made €2,200 or €4.11/kg for an Enniscrone-based farmer and this one was bought by a customer in Northern Ireland for breeding.

A stronger Limousin-cross heifer weighing 700kg made €2,280 for a farmer from Kilkelly, Co. Mayo.

There were almost 100 dry cows on offer with a good sale on the day. A smashing ‘tonner’ 1,080kg Simmental dry cow made €2,810 and was sold by a farmer from Co. Laois.

In the springers section, a farmer from Knock in Co. Mayo had a four-year-old Charolais cow with its April-born bull calf at foot selling for €3,940.

Bull weanling’s were described as “a fine trade” with 200-350kg bulls averaging €3.49/kg and 350-450kg bulls averaging €3.17/kg while bulls over 450kg averaged €3.15/kg.

A 330kg Limousin bull made €1,300 or €3.94/kg for a farmer from Tourmakeady in Co. Mayo and another 605kg Charolais bull made €1,860 for breeding.

Cattle trade at Carnew Mart

There were almost 800 head of cattle and 140 calves on offer at Carnew Mart in Co. Wicklow on Saturday, June 15, which was ” a much larger sale” according to Carnew Mart’s Eugene Clune.

Top heifer prices from Carnew Mart:

• 502kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,620 or 3.23/kg;
• 562kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,740 or €3.10/kg;
• 592kg Charolais heifer sold for €1,830 or 3.09/kg;
• 632kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,960 or €3.10/kg.

He said that cattle being sold “met a very strong trade through all classes “with beef and forward cattle “selling very well with a big northern presence around the ring”.

“Farmers were very active for all types of stores around the ring and bull weanlings were in great demand with shippers very active for the bulls on offer.

“Friesian and crossbred bulls were a much improved trade on recent weeks with shippers again buying the bulls on offer,” he added.

Dowra Mart

Numbers of cattle remained similar at Dowra Mart in Co. Cavan with just over 400 head of cattle sold on Saturday, June 15.

Dry cows topped out at €2,660 for a Charolais cow weighing 865kg, while a Charolais stock bull weighing 1,140kg sold for €2,650.

Heifers reached €2,280 in Dowra with the top price going to a Charolais heifer weighing 700kg while a Limousin heifer weanling weighing 255kg sold for €1,010.

A heavy bull weanling weighing 675kg sold for €2,260, while another continental bull weanling weighing 260kg sold for €1,040.

Bullocks reached €2,820 for a Angus bullock weighing 920kg.