With the autumn weanling sales just around the corner, prices are running at record highs with the top prices for weanling bulls nearing €7/kg at one sale in Co. Leitrim over the weekend.

At GVM Carrigallen Mart, Co. Leitrim, on Saturday, July 19, prices reached €6.98/kg for a 364kg weanling bull that totalled €2,540, bought by a local farmer.

Mart manager Helen Kells told Agriland there have been small numbers of weanling bulls coming out to sales all summer and these have met a good trade throughout.

The mart is hosting its first special sale of weanlings on Saturday, August 9, which is expected to see a big entry of suckler-bred weanlings.

In Balla Mart, Co. Mayo, on Saturday, weanlings prices were described as "strong due the strong demand from export buyers" by mart manager Michael Nolan.

The price of cattle at Balla Mart averaged out at €2,240/head this week.

Bull weanlings weighing from 200-350kg averaged €4.96/kg, and bulls weighing from 350-450kg averaged €5.04/kg.

Top bull prices from Balla Mart:

255kg Charolais-cross bull calf sold for €1,540 or €6.04/kg;
350kg Limousin-cross bull sold for €2,090 or €5.97/kg;
435kg Belgian Blue bull sold for €2,380 or €5.47/kg.

The mart manager said: "What good quality heifers around 450kg was making was unreal - they were up by approximately €900/head on this time last year."

Some of the top heifer prices from Balla Mart:

295kg Charolais-cross heifer sold for €1,780 or €6.03/kg;
375kg Salers-cross heifer sold for €2,400 or €6.40/kg;
485kg Charolais-cross heifer sold for €2,660 or €5.48/kg;
600kg Parthenaise-cross heifer sold for €3,430 or €5.72/kg.

Lighter store heifers weighing from 300-400kg averaged €4.93/kg. Heifers weighing from 400-500kg averaged €4.67/kg and heifers weighing over 500kg averaged €4.65/kg.A farmer from Co. Longford sold a 510kg Limousin heifer for €3,080 or €6.04/kg.

Store bullocks up to 500kg were up on last week the best making over €5.00/kg and up by €200/head on last week, according to the mart manager.

Bullocks 300kg to 400kg averaged 4.71/kg. Store bullocks 400-500kg averaged 4.65p/kg. While heavier bullocks over 500kg averaged 4.23/kg.

A Charolais bullock weighing 715kg sold for €3,300 to a northern factory buyer.

The cows saw a good trade, with prices for dry cows over 500kg averaging €3.93/kg and the tops of the dry cows making €3,460/head.

A six-year old Limousin cow with a bull calf at foot sold for €6,250 in the sale.