Plain cattle met with a tougher trade in Kilkenny Mart, Cillin Hill on Thursday, according to the Mart’s Auctioneer George Candler.

Candler said there was bigger number of cattle on offer and as a result customers were more selective with their purchases.

Due to the larger number of cattle on offer, he said that plainer cattle prices declined by €15-30/head on the previous week’s sale, when plain cattle also met with a difficult trade due to the lack of grass buyers.

In the steer ring, forward beef steers weighing over 500kg made €1.80-2.60/kg, while the lighter store steers traded from €1.80-3.05/kg.

Sample steer prices:
  • Friesian: 705kg – €1,400 or €1.99/kg
  • Limousin: 655kg – €1,440 or €2.20/kg
  • Charolais: 595kg – €1,490 or €2.50/kg
  • Hereford: 565kg – €1,265 or €2.24/kg
  • Charolais: 490kg – €1,270 or €2.59/kg
  • Limousin: 480kg – €1,190 or €2.48/kg
  • Angus: 395kg – €1,065 or €2.70/kg
  • Limousin: 340kg – €850 or €2.50/kg

Looking at the heifer prices, beef heifers sold from €2.00-2.50/kg or €600-910 over and the forward store heifers sold from €2.00-2.65/kg. Lighter store heifers made €1.80-3.05/kg.

Sample heifer prices:
  • Charolais: 640kg – €1,500 or €2.34/kg
  • Limousin: 610kg – €1,520 or €2.49/kg
  • Angus: 495kg – €1,100 or €2.22/kg
  • Hereford: 480kg – €1,050 or €2.19/kg
  • Limousin: 410kg – €1,010 or €2.46/kg
  • Limousin: 365kg – €1,060 or €2.90/kg
  • Angus: 355kg – €760 or €2.14/kg
  • Limousin: 295kg – €900 or €3.05/kg

Candler said that cull cows remain the brightest sector with continental culls trading from €1.40-2.07/kg and Friesian cull cows made €1.05-1.75/kg. Top quality suckler cows with calves sold to a top price of €2,000.

Raphoe Cattle Mart

Further north in Raphoe, Co. Donegal, plainer cattle continued to remain hard to sell, according to the Mart Manager Anne Harkin.

Harkin said there was a good entry of cattle on offer on Thursday, with 400 cattle passing through the ring resulting in a good trade for quality cattle and cattle for grazing.

She said that store steers sold from €2.35-2.85/kg, with the lighter lots selling up to and over €3.00/kg, similar type heifers traded from €2.40-2.80/kg.

Harkin also said that cull cows for grazing sold from €800-1,365 each.

Sample prices:
  • Bulls over 600kg: €700-1125 over
  • Beef steers: €615-945 over
  • Store steers: €405-925 over
  • Beef heifers: €560-910 over
  • Store heifers: €350-730 over
  • Dry cows: €800-1830 each