Quality steers met with a good trade in Balla Mart on Saturday, but plainer cattle were harder to sell, according to Mart Manager Anthony Murphy.

Murphy said that the plainer cattle on offer met with a tougher trade due to the inclement weather conditions over the past couple of weeks.

During Saturday’s sale, steers made from €600-750 over or €1.70-3.33/kg.

Heavy steers weighing over 600kg also met with a good trade, with these lots selling from €1.64-2.86/kg.

Sample Steer prices:
  • Charolais: 270kg – €900 or €3.33/kg
  • Charolais: 385kg – €1,105 or €2.87/kg
  • Limousin: 460kg – €1,210 or €2.63/kg
  • Charolais: 650kg – €1,620 or €2.49/kg

There was also 350 heifers on offer in Balla on Saturday, with store heifers making €600-945 over or €1.33-3.07/kg. Heavy heifers met with a similar trade to last week trading from €1.52-2.78/kg.

Sample heifer prices:
  • Limousin – 290kg: €885 or €3.05/kg
  • Limousin – 377kg: €1,120 or €2.97/kg
  • Limousin – 455kg: €1,400 or €3.08/kg
  • Charolais – 580kg: €1,480 or €2.55/kg
  • Charolais – 640kg: €1,555 or €2.43/kg

Over 150 cows passed also passed through the ring, with dry cows making €1.06-2.55/kg.

Tullow Mart

Further south in Tullow Mart, there was a noticeable increase in numbers, but the trade continued to remain lively for store steers and heifers on the back of grass buyer demand, according the the Mart Manager Eric Driver.

In-spec cattle met with the best demand on Friday, with Friesian types trading from €550 over, while the continental lots made a top price of €945 over.

The lighter store Friesian steers sold from €2/kg, while the better quality continental types traded up to €3.15/kg for the muscled Limousin and Charolais steers.

In the heifer ring, demand was driven by butcher customers for the well-fleshed lots which sold from €580-905 over.

There was also good demand for heifers weighing 350-420kg, with these lots trading from €2.20-3.05/kg, grass buyers were driving the trade for these lots.

Meanwhile, fleshed cows also met with a good trade, the dairy types traded from €180 over, while the better quality fleshed continentals sold up to €700 over, while suckler cows with calves at foot made from €1,350-1,980.

Macroom Mart

Like previous weeks, cattle continued to meet a good trade in Macroom Mart, according to the Mart Manager John O’Mahony.

There was good demand for all stock, but store steers continued to lead the way in the Cork venue on Saturday.

Early maturing Angus and Hereford steers sold from €215-685/kg, while better quality continental cattle made €230-775 over.

Sample steer prices:
  • Angus – 595kg: €1,280
  • Hereford – 470kg: €1,030
  • Limousin – 540kg: €1,295
  • Limousin – 420kg: €1,195

Heifers also continued the trend of previous weeks, with grass buyers continuing to drive the trade, with heifers trading from €225-650 over.

Mountbellew Mart

Like Tullow Mart, there was also a bigger number of stock on offer in Mountbellew Mart on Friday, according to the Mart Manager Marianne Higgins.

The Mart Manager said that farmers were very active for all store cattle, but especially for the steers on offer.

Sample steer prices:
  • Limousin: 600kg – €1,400
  • Limousin: 545kg – €1,300
  • Charolais: 418kg – €1,100
  • Angus: 400kg – €1,100

Heifers also met with a with a good trade, with the weanling lots on offer selling from €450-750 over.

Sample heifer prices:
  • Limousin: 430kg – €1,020
  • Limousin: 395kg – €1,000
  • Limousin: 320kg – €870
  • Angus: 380kg – €810