Drought hits young cattle prices

Marts: The longer term effects of the drought is impacting with greater severity on the trade for young cattle at the marts, where the demand and prices were maintained for the forward animals yesterday.

With a crisis in feed supply for over-wintering of stock looming, farmer interest in the purchase of light and young animals has plummeted.

In areas of the country where grass supply has been depleted for weeks there is no interest in buying-in stock because home produced feed is unavailable.

The result is a noticeable absence of farmer customers from the mart sales and very poor demand for cattle, unlikely to finish to beef before the winter, and bigger than usual sales for mid-August as farmers try to lighten stocking levels.

Demand was good for the quality store bullocks at Fermoy Mart yesterday where there was 600 head on offer — up one-third on last week — but the lighter animals and plain cattle continued a difficult trade.

Prices paid for heavy cattle ranged €250 — €330 over €/kg, the good forward stores making up to €310 over. Some of the plainer and lighter animals changed hands at prices back to €55 over.

The trade for heifers is holding up better. There was a good trade for the beef heifers at Fermoy which sold for up to €295 over €/kg while stores ranged €110 — €220 over.

The pattern of trade was broadly similar yesterday at Kanturk Mart where the heavy bullocks ranged €120 — €240 over, medium weights sold at €70 — €200 over and light stores ranged €65 — €210 over. Up to €165 over was paid for heavy heifers and the trade for stores ranged €75 — €150 over.