Drop in demand for plain cattle

THE trade has weakened for plain cattle and for single-punched bullocks, which will not qualify for the second SBP between now and the end of the year.

Quality is continuing to sell well and the pattern is showing a greater awareness by finishers of the changing

climate in which the price difference at factories between quality grades and poorer type animals is widening.

Supplies of cattle in the marts have been strong through the week with the winter weather driving out any stock that is not being housed. There has also been an increase of medium-quality cattle appearing in the sales rings.

There was a big sale of 1,450 head at Ennis yesterday where the quality lots sold well, but demand and prices for the plainer lots were noticeably easier than last week. There was good demand for the near-finished double

-punched animals which made up to 240 over /kg for the tops of the continentals. A lot of two Charolais 658kg sold for 895, a lot of four Charolais 642kg made 872 and two Belgian Blues 610kg sold for 820. The next run of continentals and Herefords sold from 70 over to 140 over.

In the single-punched ring the tops of the Continentals made from 250 over to 300 over with lighter animals ranging from 190 over to 230 over.

At Kilkenny Mart there was 850 head on offer. There was a definite easing of the trade for bullocks which will not qualify for the 21-month SBP in 2002 with prices back up to 15/head. The plain cattle were also an easier trade and the animals with poor grading potential coming from the high merit dairy herds are difficult to sell and well back in price. At the other end of the scale some exceptional prices were paid for quality lots with five single-punched Charolais 598kg selling for 1,015 and a Belgian Blue 578kg making 910.

The trade for forward heifers was improved by 10-20/head with beef lots making up to 240 over /kg. One Continental 540kg sold for 780 and a Limousin weighing 556kg made 760.

There was a good entry of quality cattle at Midleton Mart yesterday where the heavy bullocks sold from 85 over to 295 over and there was a good demand for a bigger entry of heifers with beef making from 40 over to 145 over and stores selling from 28 over to 80 over.

There was an improved shipping trade for weanling heifers at Athenry Mart where the shippers paid up to 120 over /kg.

However, they could not match the farmer trade which pushed the prices for the stronger lots of continental weanlings to a top price of 205 over /kg.

The trade for weanling bulls was

improved by up to 20/head ranging from 150 over to 380 over.