A number of trade and weather-related factors are taking a toll on the mart trade for cattle over the past few days.
Farmers in many parts of the country continue to struggle with reduced grass growth rates and this week’s cut to beef prices at factories have also been felt in the trade for forward and heavy cattle.
Northern customers remain active at marts with over 15% of the bullocks on show at Carnaross Mart, Co. Meath on Monday, July 1, going to customers from Northern Ireland.
Carnaross Mart manager, Padraig McElroy said northern buyers are keen for all forward store and heavy cattle at present.
He said that the trade for the plainer-type cattle may be back a bit but the prices for good store cattle are “holding well”.
Thurles Mart
Mid Tipperary Co-operative Livestock Mart (Thurles Mart) hosted its weekly general cattle sale on Monday, July 1.
Speaking to Agriland after the sale, mart manager Martin Ryan said cattle numbers in the sale over the past five weeks are “up maybe 10% on last year”.
“There are a lot of bullocks and heifers coming out, not as many cows as we would have seen this time last year.
“Cows have maybe gone a little bit earlier. There are a lot more strong cattle this week than we would have seen over the last couple of weeks.
“A good 500kg Charolais bullock is making from €2.70-€2.80/kg, while an Angus or Hereford bullock of the same weight is making from €2.50-€2.60/kg for the better type and for the plainer ones, you could be back to €2.20 or 2.30/kg.”
The Thurles Mart manager added that sale clearances are still “reasonably good” and added that there are “still a few calves trickling through” at the sale. He said that last year, calf sales had wrapped up by early June.
Headford Mart
While cattle numbers were up in Thurles, numbers are “slipping away” at Headford Mart in Co. Galway “due to time of year,” according to a sale report from the mart.
Despite this there was “some super quality cattle on show” with a clearance rate of 94% in the sale on Saturday, June 29.
A cheque for €19,315 was presented to Cancer Care West. The donation came from the proceeds of a charity auction at the mart venue last month.
Sample prices from the bullock sale at Headford on Saturday:
- 420kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,370 or 3.26/kg;
- 345kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,340 or 3.88/kg;
- 415kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,200 or 2.89/kg;
- 475kg Angus bullock sold for €1,200 or 2.52/kg;
- 595kg Charolais bullock sold for €1,770 or 2.98/kg.
In the weanling bull sale, a 245kg Limousin bull sold for €790 or 3.22/kg, while a 335kg Charolais bull sold for €1,000 or €2.99/kg.
Sample prices from the heifer sale at Headford on Saturday:
- 375kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,140 or €3.04/kg;
- 510kg Charolais heifer sold for €1,560 or €3.06/kg;
- 570kg Angus heifer sold for €1,760 or €3.09/kg;
- 625kg Angus heifer sold for €1,950 or €3.12/kg;
- 390kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,240 or €3.18 kg.
A second-calver Limousin cow with an April-born heifer calf at foot sold for €3,120. Another Belted Galloway cow and a May-born bull calf at foot sold for €1,200.
In the cull cow sale, a 935kg Charolais cow sold for €2,420 or€ 2.59/kg, while a 750kg Limousin cull cow sold for €2,050 or 2.73/kg. A 640 kg Friesian cow sold for €1,220 or €1.89/kg.
Balla Mart trade for cattle
Balla Mart in Co. Mayo hosted its weekly general cattle sale with “the best yard of cows seen in Balla in a long time” and an average sale price of €1,770/head for cull cows, according to mart manager Anthony Murphy.
Bullocks in the 300-400kg weight racket averaged €3.09/kg, while store bullocks in the 400-500kg weight category averaged €2.98/kg.
Heavier bullocks weighing over 500kg averaged €2.86/kg. A heavy 855kg Charolais bullock bullock born in March 2022, made €2,540 or €2.97/kg.
Heifers “were selling very well and some of them breeding types did very well”, according to the mart manager.
Lighter store heifers in the 300-400kg weight averaged €3.04/kg. Heifers 400-500kg averaged €2.91/kg while heifers weighing over 500kg averaged €3.03/kg.
An April 2022-born Limousin heifer weighing 590kg made €2,700 or €4.58/kg from a Roscommon farmer that went to a Co. Clare buyer for breeding.
In the dry cow sale, an 840kg Belgian Blue dry cow made €3,000.00 sold for flushing to a Donegal farmer.
In the springer’s there were about 20 lots with one farmer from Dugort in Achill selling his April 2020 born Limousin cow and bull calf at foot for €2,620.
Weanling bulls weighing 200-350kg averaged €3.23/kg. Bulls 350-450kg averaged €3.35/kg, while bulls over 450kg averaged €3.78/kg due to huge export demand.
An August 2023 born Charolais bull weighing 505kg made €1,580 or €3.13/kg for a farmer from Claremorris and another lighter Belgian Blue weanling bull weighing 365kg made €1,350.00 or 3.70/kg for export.