Weanling prices on the slide
Some of the plain light bull weanlings are selling back to €100-€150 over €/kg and the plain light heifers are making less than €100 over with larger numbers on offer at this weeks sales.
The announcement on the lifting of the ban on OTM cattle, to allow the older animals back into the food chain in Britain after November 7 has dampened the enthusiasm of finishers targeting the spring-early summer trade next year, because it will lead to more domestic supplies of beef on the market in Britain, - a market that Irish exporters have become reliant on for up to 60% of export sales.
Weanling bulls at Kilmallock ranged €190-€300 over e/kg and the heifers made €130-€250 over. Shippers were active at Ennis Mart yesterday where the entry was up on last week, but prices for all types of weanlings were back.
Bulls were easier by €20/head and heifers back €10/head for the quality end of the sale, but the plain animals and light- weights were a hard sell and price were back more.
Shippers were very active in the heifer ring. Some strong prices of up to €400 over €/kg were paid for the choice bulls, but they were the exception with the general run ranging €200-€330 over. Apart from strong prices for a few exceptional heifers - which made up to €400 over - prices generally ranged €120-€220 over.
At Dungarvan Mart where the tops of the weanling bulls made up to €330 over, prices were back for all types of cattle.
Weanling heifers ranged €150-€200 over for the continentals, non-continental breeds making €90-€130 over for the heifers and bulls selling at €100-€200 over.
