Quality store cattle continue to meet a good trade but plainer lots are in less demand, according to George Candler, the Auctioneer in Kilkenny Mart, Cillin Hill.
Speaking to Agriland, Candler said that store buyers are cautious, as they are worried about beef price at the back end of the year.
“There is a lot of uncertainty out there caused by extra cattle numbers,” he said.
And this caution is having an impact on the trade for plain stores, he said, particularly the plain Friesian bulls and steers on offer.
Candler said that the trade for Friesian bulls was difficult on Thursday, as they struggled to break the €2/kg mark, with the majority selling from €1.70-1.90/kg.
However, despite the difficult trading conditions for plainer lots, Candler said that the continental steers were a good trade.
Forward steers weighing over 600kg made €2.00-2.50/kg, while lots weighing 500-600kg made €2.00-2.55/kg.
Candler said that light quality steers (400kg) sold from €1.70-3.04/kg and heavier stores (400-500kg) traded from €1.80-2.82/kg or from €320-765 over.
The Auctioneer also said that beef heifers met with a good solid trade in Thursday’s sale, with beef heifers selling from €2.00-2.60/kg and forward store heifers sold from €1.90-2.75/kg.
The cow trade continues to remain steady, he said, but the numbers on sale on a weekly basis have increased since Brucellosis testing was abolished last year.
Friesian cull cows sold from €0.90-2.04/kg while the better quality continental cows traded at €1.50-2.35/kg.
Like Kilkenny Mart, the trade remained strong for quality stores in Castlerea Mart’s sale of 600 cattle on Thursday, according to the Mart Manager Brendan Egan.
However, he said that plainer cattle met with a tougher trade with prices for these lots back on last week’s sale. But, heifers met with good demand and these lots sold from €2.69-2.85/kg for light store heifers, while heavier lots made €2.31-2.62/kg. Heavy steers also sold well making from €2.24-2.78/kg.
Egan also said that bull and heifer weanlings met with the best demand, with these lots selling from €2.85-3.35/kg and €2.87-3.15/kg.
Strong farmer demand seen a full clearance of weanling heifers at Athenry Co-op Mart’s weanling and cow sale on Thursday, according to the Mart Manager Alan Barry.
However, Barry said there was a smaller number of cattle on offer than previous weeks, with weanling bulls selling from €2.20-2.85/kg (for lighter bulls up to 300kg).
Barry also said that weanling heifers sold to a top price of €2.75/kg mainly driven by demand from farmers.
Castlerea Mart
Athenry co-op mart