Quality continental bullocks and heifers featured well at this week's cattle sale at Kilkenny Mart.

Despite the smaller numbers at the sale, bullocks and heifers, especially from the suckler herd, fared to a top price of €4.30-€4.80/kg.

According to auctioneer George Candler, plainer cattle such as Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, and Friesians showed a "slightly reduced trade".

Meanwhile, in the mart's weanling and cull cow sale this week, trade in both rings was described as "electric" with online buyers in the cull cow ring "ruling the roost".

A large number of suckler type bulls and heifers saw the tops ranging from €5.30-€6.60/kg.

Even runners from the dairy herd such as Friesian, Hereford and Aberdeen Angus saw prices from €3.50-€4.80/kg.

Sample prices at Kilkenny Mart

While there was a marginally smaller offering at Thursday's sale at Kilkenny Mart, there was still a 95% clearance rate.

More plain cattle tended to sell that little bit cheaper, but most sections showed an increase of €1/kg compared to last week's return.

Some examples of purchases of the heavier cattle on the day included:

A Charolais weighing 765kg that sold for €3,240 or €4.24/kg;
Two Friesians weighing 705kg that sold for €2,480/head or €3.52/kg;
Seven Simmentals weighing 645kg on average that sold for €2,930/head or €4.54/kg.

In the 500-600kg bracket, the average price per kg was €3.80 and the average price per head was €2,033.

Some examples of purchases in this category are as follows:

Two Aberdeen Angus weighing 590kg sold for €2,410/head or €4.08/kg;
Two Charolais weighing 515kg sold for €2,310/head or €4.49/kg.

Looking at the animals on offer weighing less than 400kg, these averaged out on a price of €1,625/head or €4.30/kg.

Some examples included:

Four Limousins weighing 390kg on average sold for €1,920/head or €4.92/kg;
Six Wagyu weighing 368kg on average sold for €1,700/head or €4.62/kg;
Three Aberdeen Angus weighing 320kg on average sold for €1,120/head or €3.50/kg.

Cull cow sale

At Tuesday's cull cow sale at Kilkenny Mart, there were 80 animals on offer.

Friesian cull cows made between €1.90/kg and €3.15/kg.

Continental cull cows ranged from €3.20-€4.00/kg.

Heifers

Beef heifers made an average of €2,450/head at Kilkenny Mart this week.

Some examples of heifer sales are as follows:

An Aberdeen Angus heifer weighing 955kg sold for €3,780 or €3.96/kg;
Two Friesian heifers weighing 665kg sold for €2,320 or €3.49/kg.

In terms of forward store heifers, the average price paid was €3.78/kg.

Some examples of purchases in this category included:

Two Limousins weighing 450kg sold for €2,210/head or €4.91/kg;
Two Charolais weighing 500kg sold for €2,020head or €4.04/kg.

Light store heifers, meanwhile, sold to a top of €1,403, equating to an average of €3.90/kg.

Some examples of purchases made on the day include:

A Charolais weighing 390kg sold for €1,860/head or €4.77/kg;
Two Herefords weighing 375kg sold for €1,300/head or €3.47/kg
Three Aberdeen Angus weighing 365kg on average also sold for €1,300/head or €3.56/kg.