There were 1,150 lots of cattle on offer in Balla Mart on Saturday, according to the Mart’s Anthony Murphy, which he said was a very big sale for this time of year.
Stock are coming out earlier and in larger numbers, he said, and there was an exceptionally good trade for all types of cattle and a large number of buyers from all parts of the country.
Store steers (450kg) made from €550-800 over or €1.75-3.09/kg, while the heavier classes (+500kg) traded from €1.65-2.91/kg.
Over 500 lots of heifers also passed through the ring with store heifers a better trade and these lots sold from €500-870 over or €1.82-3.28/kg. Heavy heifers met with a good trade and averaged from €1.56-2.84c/kg.
Murphy said there was a lot of competition among buyers for the cows on offer with the dry cows on offer trading from €1.09-2.11/kg.
There was also a special weanling sale with approx 360 weanlings on Saturday.
The lighter weanling bulls were averaging from €1.64-3.32/kg, while heavier types made from €1.83-3.12/kg.
Murphy also said there was a fine trade for the heifer weanlings on offer and these lots sold from €1.96-3.18/kg, while the heavier lots sold from €1.99-3.06/kg.
The trade could be described as electric in Tullow Mart on Friday, according to the Mart Manager Eric Driver, as factory and butcher agents were bidding vigorously for the exceptional high quality heifers on offer at the show and sale of beef cows and heifers.
Many noted that the prices achieved per kg of liveweight did not resemble the poor prices offered by the factories over the past number of weeks, he said.
Beef and butcher heifers sold from €750-1,100 over or from €2.20-2.50/kg with one exceptional Belgian Blue heifer weighing 640kg making €1,870.
Moving on to the forward stores, these lots sold from €650-1,000 over, while the lighter store heifers sold to a farmer demand and prices for these lots ranged from €300-820 over. There was also a number of quality weanling heifers on offer and these lots generally traded from €2.20-2.80/kg while €3.20/kg was given for another exceptional Belgian Blue heifer. This heifer weighed 440kg and sold for €1,410.
Cull cows were once again in demand on Saturday, Driver said, with feeding cows selling from €300-600 over while the heavier fleshed cows sold up to €1,000 over.
There were 680 cattle on offer in Castlerea Mart on Thursday, according to the Mart Manager Brendan Egan.
Egan said prices strengthened for store steers and heifers, with prices for these lots up by €20-30/head. The steers on offer traded from €2.14-2.43/kg, while heifers made €2.46-2.97/kg.
He added that the weanlings continued to meet a strong trade while the breeding stock and calves reported a good clearance.
The dry cows traded from €1,125-1,580, cows with calves at foot made from €1,260-1,940 while in-calf cows sold from €800-1,570 each.
Tullow Mart
Castlerea Mart