Strong demand for store cattle
With another extensification date having been pencilled into the calendar for 2003, cattle farmers are more at ease buying in the knowledge of where they stand on extensification limits for the year.
The improvement in beef prices is also helping to drive the store prices, particularly for the forward quality animals which are capable of being finished to beef at under 30 months before the end of the year, with the expectation that prices for these animals will continue to harden, and the Christmas beef trade could be a paying target to pitch for with young animals this year.
Store bullocks were dearer by €20/head at Athenry Mart yesterday where numbers were up on last week, while Fermoy Mart with a large entry reported an excellent trade and the pattern was similar at Kanturk Mart.
Martin McNamara, Manager, Athenry Mart said that the trade was very strong for both the double punched, and the quality single punched bullocks yesterday.
“Double punched bullocks for further feeding are being much after and all double punched bullocks at to-days sale would have been making the equivalent of 85p-90p/lb deadweight,” he said.
Martin Ryan
