Double punched cattle in demand

Marts: Prices for forward double punched bullocks swept to new heights when up to €375 over €/kg was paid at the ringside in the west yesterday.

The flying trade for the heavy double punched bullocks at Athenry Mart, surprised mart manager Martin McNamara, with several lots in this category being knocked down to purchasers at prices above €300 with €/kg

So who is buying these cattle at such strong prices? Everyone around the marts sales rings over recent weeks knows that buyers for a small number of large stud farms have blown farmers out of the bidding in their drive to get enough stock to graze their lands or as the farmers prefer to express it “pay high prices for automatic lawn mowers.”

The top price in this category at Athenry was €950 paid for a 575 Charolais, while €1,010 was paid for a lot of three 666 kg Simmentals, and five Charolais weighing 540 kgs sold for €875. Single punched bullocks sold from €200 over to €410 over and heifers made from €120 over to €280 over.

Double punched bullocks were also a good trade at Fermoy making up to €240 over, while store heifers were a very strong trade, making up to €290 over.

Up to €290 over was paid for the heavy punched out bullocks at Blessington Mart, maintaining the pattern of strong prices for double punched cattle The single punched bullocks were dearer by €15/head at Blessington at up to €400 over €/kg. They made up to €410 over at Athenry and up to €350 over at Kanturk Mart.

Martin Ryan