The opening weanling show and sale at Balla Mart in Co. Mayo took place on Tuesday, September 3, with “an export-driven trade seen on the day”, according to Stephen Hannon from Aurivo Marts.
There were over 500 weanling bulls and over 180 weanling heifers on offer in the sale and export buyers were paying “up to €3.80/kg for heavy weanling bulls and over €4.00/kg for the lighter, quality weanling bull calves”.
Farmers were paying up to €4.10/kg for the quality weanling bulls with the lighter, quality bull calves averaging €4.12/kg.
“There was a strong entry of weanlings for the opening sale of the year,” according to Hannon, who said farmers are bringing out weanlings earlier due to the good prices available, as well as the wet ground conditions.
The table below details average prices for weanling bulls at the sale:
Weight range Average price 200-350kg €3.24/kg 350-450kg €3.66/kg Over 450kg €3.51/kg
Balla Mart’s manager Michael Nolan said: “All the top bulls calves made over €4.50/kg.”
A Belgian Blue-cross bull born in January 2024 weighed 370kg and sold for €2,310 or €6.24/kg.
Another Belgian Blue bull also born in January 2024 weighed 460kg and made €2,190 or €4.76/kg and was bought for export.
Weanling heifers at Balla
“The fancy breeding heifers and anything nice got a great price, but there was a scattering of average heifers on offer too. All averages were still over the €3:30/kg however,” the mart manager said.
The table below details average prices for weanling bulls at the sale:
Weight range Average price 200-350kg €3.41/kg 350-450kg €3.62/kg Over 450kg €2.87/kg
One of the top prices in the weanling heifer sale went to a Belgian Blue-cross heifer born in April 2024 that weighed 220kg and made €2.480, or €11.27/kg for a farmer from Carrowbeg in Westport, Co. Mayo.
Another Belgian Blue cross heifer weighing 425kg made €2,800 or €6.59/kg.
Balla Mart is set to host a special breeding heifer sale on Saturday, September 14.