Mart trading on the increase
While the overall average increase is modest, the upward trend is welcomed by the mart operators, who have been through one of the toughest periods in their history following the ban on sales under the FMD restrictions imposed in 2001.
Mart sales were up by 5% overall for the first quarter of the year. With the trend being maintained to date in the second quarter, there is now an expectation that the marts will show a 10% increase for the year, when the pattern is extended through the larger autumn sales period.
Mart sheep sales are showing an increase of 35% on last year.
Cattle sales in the east and south continue to suffer from low sales of finished animals because of the slaughter premium, which has all but eliminated heavy cattle from the mart sales rings.
Direct sales of heavy cattle to the factories have resulted in the throughput of cattle through marts in the south and east with the exclusion of calves declining by 9% during the first three months of 2003, compared to last year.
However, part of this drop was compensated for by an increase in calf sales during the period.
The west continues to be the best-performing region of the country. Marts are showing an increase of 16% in total cattle sales for the three-month period, while sheep sales showed an increase of 18%.
Cattle sales in the western marts have now recovered to 90% of sales in 2000, which was the last strong year for the marts before the impact of the FMD restrictions of the following year. This is indicative of the role of the west as a source of quality stock for the marketplace, particularly for suckler farmers.
