Plain store cattle, especially Friesian steers, have taken a price hit in recent weeks with these lots back by €50-60/head.
According to mart managers, plainer cattle are becoming more frequent in the ring and this is having a negative impact on the trade.
Despite the fall in demand for plainer lots on the back of increased throughput, there are plenty of buyers for the quality lots on offer, report mart managers across the country.
Store steers, last week, generally made €1.33-3.13/kg while the heavier forward beef classes traded from €1.40-2.74/kg despite the uncertainty in the beef market.
There was also a good trade reported for the better quality heifers, but the poorer quality lots remained difficult to sell.
According to mart managers, store heifers sold from €1.62-2.98/kg while forward beef lots made €1.44-2.49/kg.
The weather over the previous weeks has had a big impact on the trade in Templemore Mart on Thursday, according to the Mart Manager John O’Sullivan, with the trade some bit quieter.
According to O’Sullivan, Friesian steers weighing in the region of 400kg are back by approximately €50-60/head on previous weeks.
However, he added that there were good numbers of cattle coming forward with 290 passing through the ring.
He added that the lighter Friesian steers generally sold from €1.88-1.90/kg while the heavier lots (500-600kg) traded from €1.61-1.94/kg.
Despite the fall in demand for plainer quality cattle, the Mart Manager added that the trade for Hereford and Angus steers has remained fairly static with the majority of these lots making €2.00-2.10/kg.
There were 40 heifers on offer and the hammer fell on the continental types from €2.20-2.30/kg while the early maturing Angus and Hereford types made €1.75-2.02/kg, he said.
Plainer lots were harder sold in Balla Mart on Saturday, according to the Mart Manager Michael Murphy, with over 1,000 cattle passing through the ring.
According to Murphy, these lots were harder sell due to the deterioration in weather conditions over the previous weeks.
However, he added that the trade is holding up well for quality lots this is particularly the case for quality store steers.
Store steers traded from €600-800 over or €1.33-3.13/kg while heavy steers also remained in good demand with the hammer falling on these lots from €1.40-2.74/kg.
The Mart Manager added that the trade for heifers had eased on previous weeks as a result of poorer quality lots coming forward.
According to Murphy, store heifers made €500-800 over or €1.62-2.98/kg while the heavier heifers traded from €1.44-2.49/kg.
There was a great trade for fleshy heavy continental cows and these lots remained in great demand with the hammer falling on these lots from €1.10-2.00/kg.
There was a good turnout of cattle on offer in Mountbellew Mart on Friday, according to the Mart Manager Marianne Higgins.
According to Higgins, prices are holding very firm across all lots, with good demand for store steers and heifers.
Store steers remain in good demand and these lots sold from €2.02-2.56/kg, store heifers also met with a similar trade and these lots traded from €2.00-2.37/kg while heavy lots made €1.72-2.15/kg.
According to the Mart Manager, the trade for weanlings also remains strong with the hammer falling on the weanling bulls from €450-700 over while their counterpart heifers traded from €400-650 over.
There was a very strong trade for all classes of cattle in Carnew Mart on Saturday, according to the Mart Manager David Quinn.
According to Quinn, there was an exceptionally strong trade for the quality forward steers and heifers on offer, with the hammer falling on the beef and forward steers from €750-950 over.
Continental store steers were also in good demand and these lots traded from €550-900 over, he said, while the plainer quality Friesian types made €250-700 over.
There was also strong demand for beef heifers and these lots made €600-910 over while the lighter store heifers made €450-850 over.