Champion weanling makes €1,000

A Charolais weanling bull weighing 460kg sold for €1,000 after winning the overall championship at the annual weanling show and sale at Macroom Mart.

The champion was exhibited by James McSweeney, Toames, Macroom and bought by Pat Kelleher, Macroom. Reserve champion was also a Charolais bull weanling of 430kg, exhibited by D Crowley, Carnaboy, Kilmichael and bought by Pat Kelleher for €800.

The highest price for a weanling bull was €1,090 which went for a Belgian Blue of 485kg. Top price of €905 was paid for a Charolais heifer of 435kg.

Connie Kelleher of Macroom Mart said there was an exceptionally strong trade for the best of the continental bulls with some exporters competing with farmers for the best of the heavy continentals. Up to €660 over €/kg was paid for Belgian Blue weanling bulls — a 400kg bull selling for €1,060 € and several of the top lots sold for €400 over to €500 over with the exceptional quality animals making up to €600 over.

Slightly further down the quality scale, good bulls ranged €240 over to €355 over with plenty of farmer interest in these lots and prices back a little on 2006.

A Belgian Blue bull weighing 400kg sold for €1,060; a Limousin weighing 445kg made €1,050; a Belgian Blue scaling 520kg fetched €940; a Belgian Blue 400kg made €820; A Limousin 475kg made €740; two Limousin 455kg fetched €750; four Limousin 430kg sold for €715; three Charolais 335kg sold for €640; a Charolais 475kg made €770, and two Simmentals 306kg sold for €510.

In the heifer section apart from the exceptional lots which sold for over €500 with €/kg the general run ranged €230 over to €330 over with the difference between prices for bulls and heifers considerably less than previous years.

Kanturk Mart will hold its annual weanling show and sale on September 4 with a large entry of quality stock.