Growing preference among farmers to sell cattle at marts
The latest figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that the number of cattle sold at Irish marts in the first four months of this year has increased considerably.
Separately, the number of cattle sold privately (or farm-to-farm) has fallen considerably, indicating a growing preference among farmers to sell their cattle at the mart.
The DAFM figures show growth in mart sales in all four months when compared to the same time period last year. Meanwhile, farm-to-farm sales grew in the first two months of 2022, but fell in the second two months of this year when compared to last year.
Mart throughput for the first four months of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022:
| Month | Mart sales 2019 | Mart sales 2020 | Mart sales 2021 | Mart sales 2022 | 2021/2022 difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: | 52,999 | 66,244 | 65,135 | 80,208 | +15,073 |
| February: | 136,365 | 142,979 | 131,437 | 154,503 | +23,066 |
| March: | 216,341 | 158,656 | 227,951 | 249,081 | +21,130 |
| April: | 234,053 | 78,398 | 207,523 | 216,305 | +8,782 |
| Total: | 639,758 | 446,277 | 632,046 | 700,097 | +68,051 |
The above table includes only the cattle that were sold at marts and does not include cattle that went to a mart but were unsold.
As the table above indicates, the first four months of 2022 saw the highest number of cattle sold at marts going as far back as 2019.
2020 saw mart sales take a major hit as Covid-19 disrupted normal ringside trading, however the introduction of online bidding became an instant success and has made a positive, lasting impression on the trade at livestock marts.
The table below shows the changes in the number of cattle sold through farm-to-farm sales over the past four years.
Farm-to-farm sales for the first four months of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022:
| Month | Farm-to-farm sales 2019 | Farm-to-farm sales 2020 | Farm-to-farm sales 2021 | Farm-to-farm sales 2022 | 2021/2022 difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January: | 71,273 | 74,811 | 82,957 | 87,060 | +4,103 |
| February: | 120,148 | 135,274 | 139,310 | 142,128 | +2,818 |
| March: | 224,573 | 248,899 | 281,043 | 249,782 | -31,261 |
| April: | 210,105 | 290,654 | 247,015 | 200,043 | -46,972 |
| Total: | 626,099 | 749,638 | 750,325 | 679,013 | -71,310 |
Comparing the two tables above, we see that 2022 is the first time in the last four years that the number of cattle sold at marts surpassed the number of cattle sold through farm-to-farm sales (in the first four months of the above given years).
Many mart managers across the country are reporting increased cattle numbers at mart sales when compared to the same week last year.
Some mart managers have expressed concern that the rising numbers currently seen at marts will eat into the number of livestock available at marts later in the year. However, department figures would indicate that this is unlikely, as the figures indicate that the additional cattle appearing at marts were previously being sold privately.
