While finished beef cattle prices have fallen in recent weeks, the mart trade remains largely positive with cattle sale prices at record highs for the time of year.

The number of cattle on offer in weekly sales has also increased in recent weeks as peak autumn cattle mart sales approach.

There were almost 1,200 head of cattle on offer in Carnew Mart, Co. Wicklow on Saturday, September 13, with "lot of quality store cattle and quality Friesian-cross cattle all meeting a very solid trade," according to Carnew Mart's Eugene Clune.

He said: "Prices of €4.00/kg was the minimum for all types with many continental cattle making in excess of €5.00/kg.

"The bull weanlings were in small in number but were a great trade with over €6.00/kg available for everything and the trade being driven by feedlot operators and farmers.

"Wholesalers were anxious for beef but were taken out by factory agents in most cases. It was also obvious to see many farmers back around the ring looking to fill sheds with cattle for the winter months leading to a full clearance of thre cattle offered in the sale.

There were also 128 calves and runners on offer. Reared calves were selling from €850-€1,350/head, softer calves were selling from €600-€950/head and lighter calves sold from €300-€500/head.

In the suckler sale, cows and calves made as high as €4,880 and springing heifers sold from €2,850-€4,150.

The mart hosted a weanling show and sale on Wednesday, September 10. There were 170 weanling heifers in the sale with as high as €9.30/kg paid for a 624kg Belgian Blue heifer that made €5,800. There were 30 weanling bulls on the night that sold for over €3,000.

The mart will host its next weanling show and sale on Wednesday, September 24.

Balla Mart in Co. Mayo also hosted its weekly cattle sale on Saturday, September 13, with bad weather and good prices driving out big numbers to the sale, according to the mart manager Michael Nolan.

Bullocks weighing from 300-400kg averaged €5.02/kg in the sale and store bullocks weighing from 400-500kg averaged €5.03/kg while heavier bullocks weighing over 500kg averaged €4.43/kg.

A Belgian Blue bullock weighing 485kg sold for €2,940 and another €775kg bullock made €3,500.

"The best of the heavy bullocks were all bought by Northern Ireland buyers," according to the mart manager.

Some of the top bullock prices from Balla Mart:

200kg Hereford bullock sold for €1,440 or €7.20/kg;
395kg Charolais bullock sold for €2,680 or €6.78/kg;
445kg Angus bullock sold for €2,780 or €6.25/kg;
695kg Charolais bullock sold for €3,200 or €4.60/kg;
775kg Charolais bullock sold for €3,500 or €4.52/kg.

In the heifer sale, lighter store heifers weighing from 300-400kg averaged €4.78/kg. Heifers from 400kg-500kg averaged €4.68/kg and heifers weighing over 500kg averaged €4.32/kg.

Some of the top heifer prices from Balla Mart:

265kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,450 or €5.47/kg;
385kg Limousin heifer sold for €2,120 or €5.51/kg;
445kg Charolais heifer sold for €3,000 or €6.74/kg;
520 kg Limousin heifer sold for €3,070 or 5.90/kg;
745kg Charolais heifer sold for €3,400 or 4.56/kg.

Dry cows weighing over 500kg averaged €3.72/kg in the sale.

The top price in the dry cows went to a six-year-old Belgian Blue weighing 820kg that made €3,720 purchased by a Northern Ireland buyer.

Stock bulls also "got great buying from a factory buyer from the north," according to the mart manager with a six-year-old Angus bull bought for €4,740.

In the springer sale, a February-2016-born Limousin cow with a bull calf at foot was bought for €4,400.