There was strong farmer demand for bulls at the weanling sale on Wednesday, April 27, at Ballyjamesduff Mart, Co. Cavan.
The sale featured over 150 weanlings and was composed of a mix of yearling bulls and steers as well as heifers and a few runner-type cattle.
Commenting on the trade, Ballyjamesduff Mart manager, John Tevlin said: “At this time of the year, the farmer customer is king. When the grass is growing the farmer is out buying.”
While the trade for stronger-type bulls remains as strong as ever, Telvin also noted a little more bite to the trade for the lighter-type cattle.
Sample prices from the bull sale:
“Farmers selling stores and beef cattle are getting good money for them and are coming back and replacing.”
“Farmer demand for grass cattle is continuing on a strong trajectory as the grass growth is progressing, albeit at a slower rate than most farmers would like,” Telvin added.
The Ballyjamesduff mart manager added that the plainer bulls are an improved trade also with “even the Friesian up in demand” over the past few weeks. “It takes the grass and that makes all the difference,” he added.
“Any plainer type cattle with plenty of scope are all getting into the €2/kg and above which is good money for the plainer ones but then relative to the trade for forward-type cattle, they still look to be reasonable value.”
One of the top prices per kilo from the bull sale was paid for a 235kg Limousin-cross bull that made €860 or €3.65/kg. Another 400kg Charolais bull in the sale sold for €1,360 or €3.40/kg and a 370kg Charolais bull sold for €1,280 or €3.45/kg.
Commenting on the type of farmers buying these, Telvin noted: “Some of these bulls would be going into bull beef systems while many of these are going to be castrated and kept as steers.
Exporters were on hand at the sale and were particularly keen for all plainer type lots of bulls that came into the ring. Northern buyers, on the other hand, are more active for the choice lots.
“Everyone is looking for the Angus, there’s exporters buying them, and plenty of farmers looking for them as well.”
Commenting on the calf trade, Telvin noted the calf trade remains positive with top-spec calves crossing €500 and the Friesian bull making round the €80 on the other end of the scale.
He also made a point of noting the continued growth in demand for forward Angus cattle at the mart.
“There’s 500kg Angus cattle getting into €1,500 here that are bred off a Friesian cow.
“You can go any road with an Angus, they’re all looking for them and to be truthful, they might be hard bought but there coming into good money.”
A special entry of suckler heifers with continental calves at foot will be on sale at Ballyjamesduff Mart this coming Wednesday, May 4.