Cattle numbers are remaining steady with “the good weanling in great demand”, according to Carnaross Mart manager Padraig McElroy.
There were 470 bulls, 270 heifers and 85 sucklers on offer at Carnaross Mart’s weekly weanling and suckler cow sale on Tuesday evening (November 1).
McElroy outlined said that weanling bulls made up to €3.60/kg for the top-quality ones, with a 405kg Belgian Blue-cross Limousin bull making €1,460.
The mart manager added that the weanling trade is being driven primarily by both farmers and feedlots, with the exporters active for certain types of weanling bulls.
Sample prices from the weanling bull ring:
Good-quality continental bulls in the 320-340kg weight bracket are being bought for the Turkish market while other types of the weanling bulls are also being bought for other export markets, McElroy added.
Northern customers are active for Angus bulls between 350-500kg he said, with 150 cattle making their way to Northern Ireland from Tuesday evening’s sale.
McElroy said heifers are making from €3.70/kg back, adding that farmers and feeders are driving the trade for weanling heifers currently.
Sample prices form the weanling heifer sale:
McElroy noted that while farmers are mainly buying the lighter heifers, factory and feedlot buyers are getting more eager for beef cattle again, and showed strong interest for heavy heifers and bullocks at this week’s store bullock and heifer sales.
Carnaross Mart is set to host a clearance sale of 40 suckler cows and springing heifers on Tuesday, November 29.