Cattle buyers appear to have a high level of confidence on the beef trade into the back end of this year and onwards and this was reflected in the trade for store cattle at Enniscorthy Mart’s weekly sale on Tuesday, May 3.
Numbers were back slightly at the Wexford Farmers’ Co-Operative’s (Enniscorthy Mart’s) weekly cattle sale and mart manager Kevin Murphy, attributed this to the large sales of cattle throughout the spring.
While numbers were back slightly, the trade was relatively unchanged on last week despite there being more plainer-type cattle on offer.
With milder conditions taking hold, grass growth seems to have taken off on most farms and this has resulted in there being plenty of buyers turning out at marts for all types of store cattle, as farmers have extra grass on hand for cattle.
Cull cow sale
The number of cull cows sold through the mart is running well ahead of last year to date and Murphy outlined: “It’s the strong trade that’s bringing these extra cows out.”
“There are some very strong buyers both online and ringside looking for well-fleshed cows.”
Cull suckler cows ranged from €1,040 for store-type cows up to a top price of €1,690, or €2.25/kg for a well-fleshed 750kg Angus-cross cow.
Finished Friesians sold from €1,180, up to €1,500 for a 790kg Friesian cow.
The store-type Friesian cows sold from €780 up to €1,210, or from €250 to €600 over their weight for forward store cows.
Sample cull cow prices at Enniscorthy Mart:
- 690kg Limousin-cross cow sold for €1,530 or €2.22/kg;
- 725kg Friesian cow sold for €1,360 or €1.85/kg;
- 750kg Angus-cross sold for €1,690 €2.25/kg;
- 830kg Friesian cow sold for €1,190 €1.43/kg;
- Four Friesian cows with an average weight of 650kg sold for €1,300 or €2.00/kg;
- Two Friesian cows with an average weight of 620kg sold for €1,260 or €2.03/kg;
- 490kg Friesian cow sold for €860 €1.75/kg.
Beef and forward store bullocks
Finished cattle were in short supply on the day but Murphy noted that “there continues to be a massive demand for forward and finished cattle”.
“Factory agents and feedlot buyers are all very eager for those forward cattle. There is a high level of confidence among buyers in the beef trade going forward,” he said.
Forward store bullocks ranged from €1,400, up to €1,930 for 670kg Limousin bullocks selling up to €1,260 over their weight.
“Those quality suckler-bred forward bullocks ranged from 2.56/kg up to 2.94/kg,” added Murphy.
Sample prices for heavy bullocks at Enniscorthy Mart:
- 650kg Limousin-cross bullock sold for €1,910 or €2.94/kg;
- 670kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,930 €2.88/kg;
- 690kg Simmental-cross bullock sold for €1,740 or €2.52/kg;
- 550kg Charolais bullock sold for €1,610 or €2.93/kg.
Lighter store bullocks
Light store bullocks sold from €760 for plainer lots out of the dairy herd, up to €1,465 for top-quality Limousins weighing 490kg.
“Quality lighter-type bullocks are making almost €3.00/kg and the plainer-type bullock is ranging €2.16/kg up to €2.45/kg,” said Murphy.
Friesians bullocks
The Enniscorthy Mart manager added: “There were some nice forward-store Friesian bullocks on offer and they ranged from €1,160, up to €1,490kg for four Friesians weighing 628kg.
“These type of Friesian bullocks were selling anywhere from 2.20/kg up to 2.37/kg.”
Sample prices for Friesian bullocks:
- Four Friesian bullocks weighing 628kg sold for €1,490 or €2.37/kg;
- Four Friesian bullocks weighing 592kg sold for €1,400 or €2.36/kg;
- Two Friesian bullocks weighing 535kg sold for€1,220 or €2.28/kg;
- Two Friesian bullocks weighing 608kg sold for €1,400 or €2.30/kg.
Store heifers
Suckler-bred forward store heifers sold from €2.53/kg, up to €2.86/kg for quality lots.
Meanwhile, the lighter suckler-bred heifers ranged anywhere from €2.45/kg up to €2.97/kg.
Sample prices for store heifers:
- One Limousin heifer weighing 590kg sold for €1,650 or €2.80/kg;
- One Limousin heifer weighing 510kg sold for €1,460 or €2.86/kg;
- Two Limousin heifers weighing 455kg sold for €1,300 or €2.86/kg;
- Two Limousin heifers weighing 462kg sold for €1,370 or €2.97/kg.
Enniscorthy Mart hosts a weekly sale of cull cows, sucklers, heifers, bullocks and weanlings every Tuesday at 10:30a.m. The mart also hosts a weekly calf sale every Wednesday at 11:00a.m.