There were over 400 bulls on offer at the Monaghan Day weanling bull sale which took place at Mohill Mart on Wednesday (February 8).
Speaking to Agriland, Mohill Mart manager Darragh Barden explained that the name Monaghan Day has age-old origins in the Co. Leitrim town.
“It’s a tradition from an old fair day in Mohill,” he said.
“The fair used to take place around where the mart was built and the tradition has been kept alive. The annual event is now split out over a number of days with a different day for each category of cattle.”
Commenting on the trade for weanling bulls, the mart manager described it as “exceptional”.
Sample prices from the sale:
“We had a 99% clearance rate and the farmers selling couldn’t get over the prices they were getting for their weanling bulls,” he said.
The top price on the day went to a Limousin-cross bull weighing 535kg and selling for €2,050 or €3.83/kg.
Barden added: “The second-highest price went to a 650kg Limousin-cross bull weighing 650kg that sold for €2,030 or €3.12/kg.”
The Mohill Mart manager noted the trade on the day was being driven predominantly by the home market, with farmers purchasing the majority of bulls for finishing, and that export buyer activity was low due to the high prices being paid by farmer buyers.
There were buyers from all across Ireland active at the sale, he added, saying: “We had buyers from Donegal to Kilkenny who secured stock.”
The mart manager commended the quality of the bulls turned out at the sale, most of which were born and reared on suckler farms across counties Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon and the surrounding regions.
“Farmers and feedlot buyers remain confident on the trade and the demand for bull beef and this is reflected in the prices they are willing to pay. Most of the buyers would be targeting under-16 month bull finish with some going for an under-24 month finish.”
In the lighter categories of weanling bulls there was a 380kg Aberdeen Angus-cross calf that sold for €1,300 or €3.42/kg and a stronger, 450kg Charolais-cross calf that made €1,840 or €4.08/kg.
“There weren’t too many calves under 300kg in the sale, but the quality, lighter calves sold well,” the manager explained.
“There was one September 2022-born continental calf weighing 280kg that made €1,060 or or €3.79/kg.”
Commenting on the bulls that were achieving the top-end prices, Barden said: “The strong, shapey, continental-type bulls were making the real premium at the sale.
“The quality, Charolais, Limousin or Belgian Blue-cross weanlings were making the real premium price.”
The Monaghan day sales continue at Mohill Mart with a sale of approximately 450 bullocks today (Saturday, February 11), a sale of weanling heifers on Wednesday (February 15) and a sale of heifers on Saturday (February 18).
The final Monaghan Day sale at Mohill Mart will take place on Saturday, February 25, with a sale of dry cows and sucklers.