Farmer gets over €3,500 for heifers

Marts: A Bandon farmer received over €3,500 for the champion and reserve champion at the Annual Fat Stock Show and Sale at Kanturk Mart yesterday where there was fine turnout of show cattle.

Abraham Busteed, a well known producer and exhibitor of fat stock, scored the overall double, with two outstanding heifers. His 625kg Charolais won the Champion of the Show and sold for €2,050 to Twohigs Super Value, Kanturk and the 620kg Limousin Reserve Champion went for €1,520.

There was more than 100 lots of show cattle and a strong trade driving prices in the range €300-€600 over €/kg for the bullocks and trade for heifers hitting almost the same range.

The trade this week is continuing very strongly with the last census date November 16 out of the way. Bullock prices were improved by €20-€30/head at Kilmallock for 40 .pens on offer single-punched selling for up to €330 over and heifers were a steady trade at €70 over to €150 over.

There was a smaller sale at Athenry yesterday where bullock prices were up €20/head and heifers met a steady trade at unchanged prices. Up to €400 over €/kg was paid for the top of the single- punched bullocks a 610kg single-punched Blue Limousin sold for €1,005 and a pair of red Limousin 510kg made €870.

A 485kg Simmental heifer made an exceptional price of €835 well above the general run of up to €250 over.

The trade was steady at Fermoy Mart with 600 cattle on offer yesterday.

Demand was very strong for the single-punched at up to €370 over for the forward lots.

A single-punched 660kg Simmental sold for €1,035 and there was a good run of prices in excess of €300 for the best of the single-punched bullocks.

Martin Ryan