More than €800 paid for heifer calf
The Belgian Blue heifer was described as a "very good double muscle" animal purchased by a farmer who may be hopeful of producing a quality animal for the show circuit.
But auctioneer Michael Scanlan, who was on the rostrum, could hardly believe it when he brought the hammer down at €802 and a ringside of farmers were astonished. The purchaser was a local farmer.
There was an outstanding trade for calves at yesterday's sale where a good Belgian Blue bull calf being sold by another farmer made a whopping €680. Continental bulls ranged from €400 to €680/head. The main competition was between farmer buyers, which left many of them failing to get calves.
There was an equally flying trade for adult cattle at Athenry Mart, where up to €415 over €/kg was paid for punched out bullocks and single punched soared to new heights at €610 over €/kg being paid.
"We had a great trade all round. Heifers were a flyer as were the quality single punched. There was great demand also for the double punched bullocks," said mart manager Martin McNamara.
The top price for a punched out bullock went for a 565 kg Simmental sold for €980. A 580 kg single punched Simmental sold for €1,160 and a 475 kg Limousin heifer sold for €930. Numbers on offer at the sale were up on last week.
Up to €558 over e/kg was paid for single punched bullocks at Kilmallock Mart, where the entry was back slightly on last week 472 kg continental selling for €1,020 and €1,040 paid for a 510 kg single punched.
Mart manager Kevin Leahy described it as "a very dear sale. "The heavy heifers sold for up to €270 over e/kg with stores selling for up to €250 over.
