There was a smaller sale of cattle at Balla Mart in Co. Mayo on Saturday, June 21, with the good weather attributing to the reduced numbers of cattle in the sale as farmers availed of the sunshine to get fieldwork completed.

Commenting on the trade in the sale, Balla Mart manager Michael Nolan said store bullock prices were up by approximately 20c/kg on the previous sale, with heavier cattle types "holding their own" on price.

One of the top bullock prices went to a year-old Charolais bullock weighing 370kg that sold for €1,950 or €5.27/kg. Another heavy Limousin bullock weighing 735kg made €3,440 or €4.68/kg.

Bullocks in the 300-400kg weight range averaged €4.32/kg. Store bullocks weighing from 400-500kg averaged €4.59/kg, while heavier bullocks weighing over 500kg averaged €4.02/kg.

Other notable bullock prices from the sale:

225kg Limousin bullock sold for €1,250 or €5.56/kg;
370kg Charolais bullock sold for €1,950 or €5.27/kg;
430kg Limousin bullock sold for €2,350 or €5.47/kg;
660kg Charolais bullock sold for €2,870or €4.35/kg;
735kg Limousin bullock sold for €3,440 or €4.68/kg.

The mart manager commended the quality of the breeding heifers that are still being shown in the sale on a weekly basis, and said that the average heifer prices "are way up due to this trade", with prices achieved for these ranging from €5-8/kg.

Lighter store heifers in the 300-400kg weight bracket averaged €4.87/kg at the Balla Mart sale, while heifers in the 400-500kg weight bracket averaged €4.61/kg. Heifers weighing over 500kg averaged €4.14/kg.

Heifer prices from the sale:

255kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,460 or €5.73/kg;
320kg Limousin heifer sold for €2,500 or €7.81/kg;
385kg Belgian Blue heifer sold for €3,110 or 8.08/kg;
400kg Limousin heifer sold for €2,800 or €7.00/kg;
655kg Limousin heifer sold for €3,300 or €5.04/kg;
675kg Limousin heifer sold for €2,920 or €4.33/kg.

Cows remained "a good trade, with prices better than the bullocks at times", according to the Balla Mart manager.

Dry cows weighing over 500kg averaged €3.69/kg at the Saturday sale in Balla, and the tops in the dry cows sold to €4,380.

The top price this week in the springers was paid for a Belgian Blue cow with a bull calf at foot that made €4,340.

The weanlings were sold after the bullocks and prices remained similar this week due the demand from export buyers, according to the mart manager.

Bull weanlings weighing from 200-350kg averaged €5.22/kg, with the 350-450kg bulls averaging €4.76/kg at the sale in Balla Mart.

A 350kg Limousin bull made €1,980 or €5.66/kg, and another 435kg Limousin bull made €2,140 or €4.92/kg.