Carnaross Mart held its open dairy sale on Wednesday (May 19) with over 90 lots on offer at the Co. Meath mart.

The sale contained a mix of freshly calved cows and heifers, springing cows and heifers, bulling heifers and two Angus stockbulls.

Of the 67 milking lots, 29 achieved prices over €2,000; 11 heifers, four second-lactation cows and four third- and fourth-lactation cows.

The sale contained predominately Friesian heifers, with a smaller number of crossbred heifers on offer.

The heifers in-milk were met with strong demand from the farmers present at the sale.

It was also quite obvious that heifers and cows that were announced as being exported-tested had a bit more interest on the day - particularly with the large number of Northern Irish dairy farmers attending the sale.

The heifers in-milk achieved a top price of €2,620, with no heifer in-milk selling for less than €1,580.

The top price on the day went to Lot 9, a freshly calved heifer that sold for €2,620.

The next-highest price achieved by a heifer in-milk was Lot 32, a heifer calved 10 days that sold for €2,580.

Third-highest price went to Lot 8, a heifer calved 10 days that made €2,500.

Fourth-highest price went to Lot 24, a freshly calved heifer that sold for €2,480.

The fifth-highest price was achieved by two heifers: €2,400 for Lots 59 and 64. Lot 59 was a crossbred heifer calved 10 days, while Lot 64 was a Friesian heifer, calved three weeks, milking 33L.

Some more sample prices from the heifer in-milk section of the sale can been seen in the gallery below.

The number of second-lactation cows on offer was smaller compared to the heifers, but prices remained high nonetheless.

The top price of the sale of €2,700, was achieved in this section.

Some sample prices from this section of the sale can be seen in the gallery below.

A small number of third and fourth-lactation cows was also on offer on the day, with prices up to €2,480 being paid for a third-lactation cow.

Some sample prices from this section of the sale can be seen in the gallery below.

There was a total of ten springing lots on offer at the sale - a mix of heifers and cows.

For this section of the sale prices went as high as €1,820, with the majority of the lots selling for around €1,300.

There was nine lots of maiden heifers on offer, with prices in this section ranging from €760 to €680.

The final two lots on offer at the sale were two pedigree-registered Angus stockbulls, both aged 15 months, and selling for €1,920 and €1,680 respectively.

Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Carnaross Mart manager Padraig McIlroy said: "We had a great trade at the dairy sale, with 31 lots gone for export to northern buyers.

"The Glanbia announcement has really boosted the trade for cows in-milk, with 29 lots achieving over €2,000 on the day."