Quality weanlings are in high demand and are being sought by farmers, finishers and export buyers, according to Tuam Co-operative Mart manager, Marion Devane.

There were over 750 cattle on offer at the Galway mart's weekly cattle sale on Monday (October 25).

"We had a yard of super quality cattle across all weights on offer at yesterday's sale and these were met with a brisk trade and a high clearance," Devane told Agriland.

Commenting on the trade for the heavier-type stores, the mart manager said: "Farmer finishers and feedlots are active for the forward store cattle and a lot of farmer finishers are out trying to buy those heavy stores before they start to dry up in the next three weeks."

Sample cow prices:

Sample heifer prices:

Sample bullock prices:

There were over 200 weanling bulls and 100 weanling heifers on offer at Monday evening's weanling sale.

"Weanlings were met with a lively trade driven by farmers, northern buyers and shippers," said Devane.

Sample weanling bull prices include:

"There remains a high level of activity from local farmers buying weanling bulls and there is a particular interest for the good continental-type calves among these cohort of farmers," the mart manager added.

"Heifers were a fair trade also and next week's sale will see one of the biggest weanling sales of the year at Tuam Mart on Monday (October 31)."

Sample weanling heifer prices:

"There's a good number of farmers there to pick up the plainer weanlings also and bring them on into store cattle," Marion said.

"The number of cattle traded through Tuam Mart has increased significantly this year.

Tuam Mart hosts a sale of cows, heifers and bullocks every Monday at 11:00a.m. The weekly weanling sale takes place on Monday evenings with heifers starting at 5:30p.m and bulls starting at 6:00pm. There are two rings in operation for both sales.

The mart also hosts a sheep sale every Tuesday.

A special sale of Simmental cattle will take place next week at Tuam Mart. The event has been organised by John Hession of Portroyal Simmentals on behalf of the Western Simmentals club. The sale will take place in ring two after the weanling heifer sale.