Sunshine or not, cattle prices are high in the mart

Thursday, June 14, 2012

In the course of putting this week’s report together, I had one man from Cork say, “The sun is shining, grass is growing and cattle are dear,” — which just about sums up the mid-June trade across the country.

However, in those areas where the sun has refused to shine, and the grass is wet, the cattle are just as dear!

The man with the sunny complexion was Sean Leahy, manager of Fermoy/Corrin mart, and looking at the sheet of prices he gave me for last Tuesday’s sale, it was very easy to see why.

The numbers present caused him to reflect, “It was a very good show of cattle for the day of the year.”

Numbers were maintained, but so to was the supply of buyers, with those present not afraid to push hard in an attempt to secure stock. Heifers were “very scarce”, which meant those present met an even more “serious demand”. he said.

Sean also noted that this week saw a bigger than expected turn out of “good, heavier forward cattle.” Which just proves, he said “They’re still out there.”

Also making good money —and better money than a month ago — was an increased supply of bulls.

Examples included single Charolais lots which weighed 510 kg, making €1,250; 462 kg making €1,200; and 570 kg hitting €1,375.

Tuesday is also mart day in Kanturk, where manager Michael Scanlon reported, “A great trade, with great prices”.

Further to this, he added, “Calves were as dear as ever, and heifers a great trade.”

Turn out on the day was 300 cattle and 250 calves, with Michael telling me that, given the demand, “We could have done with more cattle and calves, as absolutely nothing went home.”

As at Corrin, there was also a surprisingly good turn out of 500 kg plus cattle.

“All good forward 450 kg to 550 kg stores, most of which could be probably finished this autumn” he said.

The 250 calves went very well with both shippers and farmers buying strongly, however Michael noted a sharp decline in the number of Friesians, with only 50 present.

Aberdeen Angus was the dominant breed on the day, with the Friesians along with Herefords and Belgian Blues making up the balance.

Moving across the border into Kerry, Monday saw a seasonally smaller sale in Tralee.

However, the trade was every bit as lively as anywhere else, with Philip Healy telling me that beef cattle for grazing continue to be in demand. “The 400 to 440 kg butcher type heifer in particular was a strong trade.”

On the fall off in numbers, Philip said, “Farmers were at silage on Monday due to the good weather.”

As marts are very significant social as well as business gatherings, I asked how Cork’s victory over the Kingdom last weekend in the football had been received.

Kerry, I was told, are a bit like Trappatoni’s Ireland, great servants but the miles are telling in the legs on some of the lads.

I put the same question to Dan McCarthy of Kenmare mart.

There was a pause, and then “Herself is from Cork, but I’m telling you Kerry aren’t out of this championship yet!”

Returning to last Thursday’s sale in Kenmare, Dan said, “It was a very dear sale”. Numbers were similar to this time last year. He noted however that unlike a lot of previous sales, a considerable proportion of the stock in last week’s sale stayed local, as the Kerrymen fought off the attentions of buyers from outside of the county.

As in many other places, this was down to the need to keep grass under control.

Dry cows in particular were strong, with prices ranging from €900 to €1,600 for continentals.

The champion price on the day of €1,860 went for a Limousin cow with a four-month old Belgian Blue bull calf at foot.

Back to Tuesday of this week and the sale in Nenagh. Michael Harty said, “Prices were quiet strong”, for their 400 cattle.

Heifers, he said, were back in numbers, but, “We were bigger in bullocks, which was a bit of a surprise.”

As at Corrin, bull numbers were up, with 60 present and prices also appeared to be up, with a 750 kg animal making €1,830.

“Has the fear for the future of the bull trade disappeared,” I asked. “Men are buying them, they are ploughing on,” Michael replied.

He also said “We had a good few men looking to buy lighter smaller stock. The 350 to 450 kg bullock.”

The 30 dry cows present also met a very strong demand; examples included two Friesians who weighed 725 kg making €1,230, and a single Charolais weighing 645 kg making €1,380.

Michael also covered the sale in Birr the day before.

There was a fine show of 400 entries. Michael explained that they did not have a mart in Birr the previous week due to the bank holiday, so this Monday was like a double sale.

Forward heifers were “very, very dear”, he said. A full clearance was achieved, attributed to “a lot of farmer customers very anxious to buy”, as at Nenagh.

Tuesday also sees a sale in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Manager Tom Harrington told me they had a full clearance of the 400 cattle on offer this week.

As in other places, the trade for heifers was “very strong, especially for beef heifers for slaughter, with €700 to €1,000 over the weight being paid.”

However, all classes showed up well, with the better conformation heavier continental type bullocks pushing up to and beyond €1,000 with the weight.

Tom dwelt for a time on the cow trade, explaining that he has seen a very marked increase in the number of cows coming through the yard.

As in other places, he felt that dairymen have seen that bringing cows to a mart is a better option than factorying them.

The traditional problem with cull cows from the dairyman’s perspective has always been that they have to be kept and fed, and because most farmers will ever realistically only have a handful at any one time, the eventual factory price may not justify the expense.

However this year — due to shortages — mart prices have rocketed, as beef finishers have moved over to buying cows to fatten on grass.

“A far better option” Tom said.

Monday saw an easing in numbers in Kilmallock , with 867 animals present, including 377 calves.

Denis Kirby said, “It was a bit dearer than last week, but there were plenty cattlemen there for them.”

He said they had a good show of cattle of 600 kg and upwards going for grass, “with men able to give the money.”

Heifers too showed strongly, with the 130 on offer meeting a fine trade.

As at other marts this week, he felt numbers might have been affected by the fine weather, as farmers switched their attention to the more pressing concern of getting silage saved.

“The best thing that could happen now,” he said, “is for the weather to settle down and let farmers get work done.”

Amen to that Denis.

Across the border in Co Clare, Sean Ryan of Sixmilebridge Mart said, “Cattle have improved again, with cows rampant.”

As everywhere else, he said “It’s the flush of growth that has pushed men out and prices up.”

The result was yet again a more or less complete clearance of what was a good yard of cattle which included a significant number of cows.

I asked him the question that has been asked a million times this year — where or when will the price stop? “Who knows?” he replied.

If you’re reading this before the Spanish match on Thursday evening, that answer also covers any and all possible predictions of the result.

If it’s later, we’ve got the Italians next!

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