Elphin Co-Operative Livestock Mart in Co. Roscommon hosted its opening harvest bullock and heifer sale on Wednesday (August 9).

Speaking to Agriland after the sale, Ciaran Lynch, who stepped in as the mart's interim manager on Tuesday (August 8), said the sale featured approximately 250 bullocks and 100 heifers.

The sale was composed of primarily of forward store and heavy cattle and the interim mart manager said that Northern Ireland customers "appeared to be very eager for cattle at the sale with a particular interest in the heavy top-end continental bullocks".

Sample prices from the bullock sale:

Over 60 cattle went to northern buyers at the sale and Lynch said they were paying "a clear premium for the heavy-type continental bullocks".

"The best two pens of cattle at the mart averaged about €2,000/head or €3.00/kg," he added.

More bullock prices from the sale:

While the northern customers had plenty of buying power, the mart manager said home customers "were also strong contenders for good continental store cattle too".

"The south of Ireland buyers were very eager for the more store-type cattle over 500kg. We had a 535kg Charolais bullock made €1,750 and another 505kg bullock sold for €1,600," he said.

Commenting on the demand for heifers in the sale, the interim manager said: "Heifers were a super trade too, but there wasn't as many of the heavy-type heifers on offer this week."

"We had a 565kg heifer sold for €1,750 and another stylish 600kg Limousin heifer sold for €1,830," he added.

Elphin Mart is set to host another special sale of bullocks and heifers on August 23. On August 30, the mart venue is set to host a special sale of breeding heifers.

The mart will host a special sale of continental heifers on September 6, and then a special sale of continental bullocks on September 13.