Cavan Mart hosted its weekly general cattle sale on Friday, February 21, with approximately 150 cattle on offer in the sale.

Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Cavan Mart's David Reilly said the numbers of cattle in the weekly sales to date this year are up on previous years, with more farmers selling cattle earlier in the year to avail of the strong prices that are currently being paid for cattle.

The top price on the day went to a 1,210kg Angus stock bull that made €3,800 or €3.14/kg and was purchased by a factory agent.

Reilly said: "Sale numbers have been a lot stronger in January and the first few weeks of February, cattle are making prices that were never seen before.

"In the store heifers, our best price would have been for a Charolais at 540kg making €2,140 and it worked out at €3.96/kg and we had another heavier 735kg Limousin heifer that made €2,860 or €3.89/kg."

Sample heifer priced from the sale:

There was a 100% clearance of the cattle on offer in the sale with a "very high demand for cattle," according to Reilly.

"Farmers are buying store cattle and factories and feedlots are active for the heavier cattle with exporter agents also purchasing cattle at the sale," he added.

Commenting on weanling prices, Reilly noted a Limousin heifer that weighed 355kg and made €1,460 or €4.11/kg.

He also remarked that there is a particularly strong customer demand for reared dairy-cross cattle, with a 235kg Angus-cross heifer making €820 or €3.48/kg, and a Hereford-cross heifer weighing 205kg that made €900 or €4.39/kg.

Sample weanling bull prices:

In the weanling bull sale, Reilly said the the top price was paid for a Charolais bull calf weighing 305kg that made €1,550 or €5.08/kg .

In conjunction with the general cattle sale this coming Friday, February 28, Cavan Mart will also host a calf sale with a selection of Angus and Hereford-cross calves and runners on offer in the sale.