Beef bullocks up €40/head

Marts: There was an excellent trade for beef bullocks, with gains of up to €40/head at the mart sales yesterday, while trade for heifers was steady or a little easier.

All sales reported more cattle on offer, leading to the largest sales of the New Year, plenty of demand for all lots, but it was very much a day for the beef bullocks to show the strongest gains.

Up to €425 over €/kg was paid at Kilkenny Mart for the best of the heavy beef bullocks in an excellent trade which saw prices for beef males gain up to €40/head on last week. The overall entry was up on last week, with 630 head on offer and store bullocks were also in strong demand showing gains of €10 to €15/head.

In the heavy bullocks a 760kg Simmental sold for €1,190, a 674kg Limousin made €1,040, and a lot of two Friesians weighing 784kg fetched €1,130. Two Limousin scaling 573kg sold for €920, four Simmentals 562kg made €815, and a lot of eight Friesians weighing 530kg sold for €680.

The trade for heifers was easier than last week but the quality beef heifers sold for up to €300 over and stores ranged €130 over to €250 over €/kg.

There was a substantial increase in the numbers on offer at Bandon yesterday where the trade remained steady at last week’s rates. The heavy bullocks made up to €260 over and lighter lots ranged €150-€230 over. Best of the continental heifers sold at up to €210 over.

There was a bigger sale at Ennis Mart where the best of the continental beef bullocks made up to €465 over €/kg, with improvements of up to €15/head. Charolais dominated the top prices. A lot of two weighing 698kg sold for €1,165, another lot of three scaling 667kg made €1,115, and a lot of two weighing 610kg sold for €1,055. Up to €450 over was paid for the best of the beef heifers with prices scaling back to €170 over.