Bullocks make gains in buoyant trade
Numbers of cattle on offer at the sales also showed a slight increase, but the extra supply was insignificant and demand was steady.
There was a slight improvement in the trade for bullocks at Bandon, where numbers on offer were up on last week. The heavy bullocks were a good trade with the best selling for up to €220 over €/kg. Lighter store bullocks ranged from €160-€290 over and Friesians sold from €90-€130 over.
Two 602kgs Herefords made €820, two 465kgs Belgian Blues sold for €685, four Simmentals weighing 465kgs made €755, while three Friesians scaling 423kgs went for €520.
In contrast the trade for heifers was quieter than last week, the best of the continentals making €220 over, while Hereford and Angus heifers ranged €50-€90 over €/kg.
There was 530 head on offer at Kilkenny, where beef bullocks were improved by €10/head and trade remained firm for other types of cattle at prices similar to last week.
The beef bullocks ranged €190-€300 over, heavy stores making up to €310 over and stores under 400kgs ranging from €180-€280 over. Beef heifers ranged €170-€255 over and stores made €130-€220 over.
There was a bigger sale at Ennis, where bullock prices improved by up to €15/head, while heifers showed gains of up to €20/head. Up to €400 over was paid for the best of the heavy continental bullocks - prices ranging back to €170 over - with the general run for stores ranging €200-€300 over.
Heifers made up to €300 over, with prices ranging back to €130 over, and there was demand for cull cows, at prices from €200 under to €120 over.