In this week’s mart report, we take a look at last week’s trade for cattle in Carnew, Tullamore and Raphoe Marts.

Some marts around the country recorded that sale entries for last week were down on the previous week, with Level 5 restrictions suggested to be a contributing factor to these decreasing numbers.

However, the trade seemed to have benefited from these low numbers, with store cattle still in high demand.

Carnew Mart

Carnew Mart hosted its weekly weanling sale last Wednesday (October 28), of which 130 heifers and 320 bulls were on offer. Commenting on the trade for weanlings, a mart spokesperson stated: “They were met with an excellent selling trade, with strong demand for all types.”

Exporter activity was also noted for lighter weighing, continental-type, bull weanlings.

Sample prices of weaning bulls: 

  • Limousin: 238kg – €620 or €2.60/kg;
  • Charolais: 305kg – €750 or €2.45/kg;
  • Limousin: 314kg – €820 or €2.61/kg;
  • Simmental: 310kg – €740 or €2.38/kg;
  • Limousin: 375kg – €820 or €2.18/kg;
  • Simmental: 376kg – €810 or €2.15/kg;
  • Limousin: 396kg – €910 or €2.29/kg;
  • Charolais: 440kg – €950 or €2.15/kg;
  • Angus: 476kg – €1,030 or €2.16/kg;
  • Angus: 530kg – €1,040 or €1.96/kg.

Sample heifer weanling prices:

  • Hereford: 216kg – €430 or €1.99/kg;
  • Limousin: 220kg – €580 or €2.63/kg;
  • Limousin: 276kg – €650 or €2.35/kg;
  • Belgian Blue: 280kg – €760 or €2.71/kg;
  • Charolais: 295kg – €710 or €2.40/kg;
  • Limousin: 325kg – €700 or €2.15/kg;
  • Limousin: 330kg – €760 or €2.30/kg;
  • Charolais: 360kg – €790 or €2.19/kg;
  • Charolais: 390kg – €880 or €2.25/kg;
  • Limousin: 396kg – €800 or €2.02/kg.

The mart also held a sale of cows on Friday (October 30) with almost 220 animals on offer. The majority of the cattle were store-type Friesian-bred cows. A mart spokesperson stated: “The trade was similar to last week with plenty of customers for all classes [of cows].”

Heavy continental-bred cull cows sold between €1.55/kg to €1.82/kg, while the more store-type continental cows traded from €1.31/kg to €1.78/kg. Friesian-bred cull cows, close to finishing, sold from €1.22/kg to €1.41/kg. Friesian store cows sold from €0.75/kg to €1.35/kg.

Sample cow prices: 

  • Jersey: 522kg – €300 or €0.57/kg;
  • Friesian: 523kg – €440 or €0.84/kg;
  • Friesian: 550kg – €650 or €1.18/kg;
  • Friesian: 640kg – €600 or €0.93/kg;
  • Limousin: 646kg – €1,000 or €1.54/kg;
  • Angus: 674kg – €880 or €1.30/kg;
  • Friesian: 744kg – €900 or €1.20/kg;
  • Belgian Blue: 788kg – €1,350 or €1.71/kg;
  • Charolais: 810kg – €1,420 or €1.75/kg;
  • Friesian: 814kg – €1,080 or €1.32/kg.

Tullamore Mart

Tullamore Mart hosted a total of 380 cattle last Thursday, October 29, at its weekly sale. The sale was held with a total of 110 online bidders registered for purchasing on the day. These buyers aided the 94% clearance rate achieved at the sale.

Antoinette Daly, the mart’s manager, stated: “Trade for some heifers were up on average between €70/head to €100/head on the week before, with bullocks selling at €50/head more than the previous week.”

However, numbers of animals brought forward for sale last week were said to be “down around 20% on the previous week”, according to Antoinette.

Steers weighing between 300kg and 435kg achieved prices ranging from €1.80/kg to €2.45/kg.

Sample prices of bullocks (300kg to 435kg): 

  • Angus: 395kg – €920 or €2.32/kg;
  • Simmental: 390kg – €910 or €2.33/kg;
  • Limousin: 415kg – €910 or €2.19/kg;
  • Limousin: 415kg – €1,020 or €2.45/kg;
  • Hereford: 415kg – €780 or €1.87/kg.

While slightly heavier store bullocks, weighing between 435kg to 500kg, sold at range of €1.90/kg to €2.50/kg.

Sample prices of bullocks (435kg to 500kg):

  • Simmental: 416kg – €1,040 or €2.50/kg;
  • Charolais: 445kg – €1,100 or €2.47/kg;
  • Limousin: 490kg – €1,150 or €2.34/kg;
  • Charolais: 490kg – €1,100 or €2.24/kg;
  • Charolais: 495kg – €1,150 or €2.32/kg.

A good trade was recorded for bullocks weighing between 500kg to 600kg, with prices from €2.00/kg to €2.47/kg being achieved.

Sample prices of bullocks (500kg to 600kg):

  • Limousin: 530kg – €1,310 or €2.47/kg;
  • Charolais: 530kg – €1,300 or €2.45/kg;
  • Charolais: 540kg – €1,270 or €2.35/kg;
  • Charolais: 575kg – €1,330 or €2.31/kg;
  • Blonde d’Aquitaine: 570kg – €1,260 or €2.21/kg.

Sample prices of bullocks (600kg to 730kg):

  • Limousin: 610kg – €1,600 or €2.62/kg;
  • Limousin: 615kg – €1,420 or €2.30/kg;
  • Charolais: 645kg – €1,470 or €2.27/kg;
  • Charolais: 735kg – €1,590 or €2.16/kg;
  • Angus: 760kg – €1,400 or €1.84/kg.

Heifers weighing between 300kg to 435kg traded from €1.80/kg to €2.38/kg.

Sample heifer prices (300kg to 435kg):

  • Limousin: 360kg – €860 or €2.38/kg;
  • Simmental: 395kg – €890 or €2.25/kg;
  • Limousin: 415kg – €930 or €2.24/kg;
  • Blonde d’Aquitaine: 420kg – €940 or €2.23/kg;
  • Angus: 430kg – €850 or €1.97/kg.

The slightly heavier store heifers, weighing between 435kg to 500kg, saw prices range from €1.80/kg to €2.35/kg.

Sample heifer prices (435kg to 500kg): 

  • Belgian Blue: 415kg – €1,060 or €2.55/kg;
  • Charolais: 455kg – €1,040 or €2.28/kg;
  • Aubrac: 465kg – €970 or  €2.08/kg;
  • Charolais: 475kg – €1,050 or €2.21/kg;
  • Charolais: 495kg – €1,100 or €2.22/kg.

Store heifers (weighing between 500kg to 600kg) sold at a range of €1.80/kg to €2.62/kg.

Sample heifer prices (500kg to 600kg):

  • Angus: 525kg – €1,070 or €2.03/kg;
  • Belgian Blue: 530kg – €1,390 or €2.62/kg;
  • Limousin: 540kg – €1,220 or €2.25/kg;
  • Charolais: 545kg – €1,260 or €2.31/kg;
  • Charolais: 585kg – €1,390 or €2.37/kg.

Sample heifer prices (600kg to 700kg):

  • Charolais: 600kg – €1,380 or €2.30/kg;
  • Limousin: 615kg – €1,420 or €2.30/kg;
  • Hereford: 615kg – €1,140 or €1.85/kg;
  • Hereford: 640kg – €1,200 or €1.87/kg;
  • Angus: 660kg – €1,370 or €2.07/kg.

Raphoe Mart

Raphoe Mart held its weekly cattle sale last Thursday (October 29). Ann Harkin, the mart’s manager, explained: “The trade was lively from start to finish for all cattle, with quality stock remaining highly sought after.”

Bulls and steers traded at prices ranging from €1.80/kg to €2.40/kg. Heifers sold from €1.90/kg to €2.60/kg, while cull cows were traded from €500/head to €1,280/head.

Angus-bred cattle had met a “good demand amongst buyers”, according to Ann.

Sample prices:

  • Bulls: >600kg – €550 to €695 over the weight;
  • Store bullocks: 400-600kg – €350 to €625 over the weight;
  • Beef heifers: >500kg – €480 to €800 over the weight;
  • Store heifers: <500kg – €300 to €690 over the weight.