Noticeable trend of prices diverging on conformation
Buyers are becoming more selective at some sales, and are showing a tendency to move away from poorer quality conformation animals even at lesser prices.
While some yards reported an easing in prices due to the weather or grass considerations, others reported a continuation of very strong prices despite those same farming considerations.
In Corrin, Fermoy, last Tuesday, for example — where cattle prices were very well maintained, despite the downturn in the weather. Mart manager Sean Leahy reported that they had a yard of 1200 animals on Tuesday, including 380 calves
He said, “Neither the change in the weather or grass supply appears to have had any effect on the trade.” He reinforced this assertion by telling me that, they had a complete clearance.
Sean said that heavier stock in particular saw “no slackening off in prices, due to very active factory and butcher buyers.”
Although the weather was an issue, he said it’s possible this was negated by the fact that their sale was possibly a little smaller than recently.
Shippers were also busy, paying €150 to €180 for the lighter calves, while local buyers pushed the stronger ones up to €270 on occasion. Cull cows continue to appear in increasing numbers, with Sean telling me that Fermoy had an entry of 300, as the dairy men continued to avail of the opportunity of very good mart prices to sift through their herds.
Also in Cork and also on Tuesday, Kanturk saw 650 calves on offer, plus 450 other cattle.
Manager Michael Scanlon said customers coming into the office at the completion of the sale commented that prices were maybe up a shade on the previous week.
As in Fermoy, factory types and strong forward stores saw no slackening in prices, with Michael drawing my attention to a 24-month Limousine bullock that tipped the scales at 775 kg, and made €1,940! When I commented it was one of the best prices I heard all year, I could nearly see the smile down the phone, as he casually said: “He was maybe a bit strong of himself.”
Michael noted that they had a bigger number of animals than usual in the 450 to 650 kg category, and that the strong prices “reflected the quality.”
The strong prices were also evident in the calf ring, examples including a five-week old Belgian Blue bull making €600; and five Friesian bulls of the same age coming into €365.
In relation to the weather and grass supply, he said he had seen a lot of fodder on the roads “moving west”, in recent times. A situation he suspects that may continue for a few weeks yet.
Moving north into Co Clare and the sale in Sixmilebridge, where Sean Ryan said they were back in numbers on Saturday, with 275 animals present.
The trade, he said, was “Steady, but maybe a little easier in places” with the weather and grass supply being the contributory factors. He said that with some men now forced to graze silage ground, “that’s begun to colour their thinking”.
Sean believes two other factors are affecting the trade. One, the shortage of 500 to 600 kg grazing animals.
“We had exceptional sales in March because farmers brought stock forward, and now they’re gone.”
And, two, the reluctance of buyers to pay over the odds for smaller stock who have come from sheds, possibly overly well done.
I know the type of animal he refers to; they are what I call “teddy bears”, smaller animals that have got to good of a do, but aren’t “storey” enough to drive on at grass without first losing weight to gain a bit of size.
Down the road in Thurles; Monday saw 741 animals in the sales yard of Mid Tipp Mart. Speaking to Martin Ryan, the picture was one of not so much price slippage but a clearer differentiation in prices between grades of animals. While the better stock remained solid, lesser animals eased somewhat with plainer and lighter bulls “definitely easier.”
Martin said it’s now becoming very clear that “Bullocks are more sought after than bulls and lighter cattle are meeting less of a demand particularly the plainer Friesians.” Observing the heifer ring, Martin said, “The more traditional breeds, the likes of Hereford and Angus were back a little.”
This he suspected possibly due to men buying for breeding pulling back as the year pushes on. Although continental heifers were he said “very strong”.
Martin said the calf trade in Thurles remains very buoyant “considering the supply has held up very well.” Cull cows too were a very strong “with no slippage in price” as the summer grazing men continue seek stock to put to grass.
Monday also saw a sale in Carlow. Mart manager Jimmy Walsh told me they had 300 head on offer which he said was “less than other weeks” understandable given that they were “coming off the back of a run of very big sales in previous weeks.” Monday he said saw the keenest prices being paid for 340 to 440 kg stock.
I expressed surprise at this given that those animals are traditionally a longer keep.
Jimmy said that a number of his customers just prefer to buy smaller and keep them longer. Given that they buy all year always at the same weights, I can see that once you get into the system, your animals should steadily improve but always you have the younger ones coming on. Jimmy also pointed up a lull in prices for 530 to 560 kg animals. Explaining that previously when these weight animals came out they came out of sheds to be sold to men who put them back into sheds to be finished. Therefore any condition they carried was a benefit. Now however any extra condition is not viewed as any benefit for the same reason given by Sean Ryan earlier i.e. they will be put to grass and that adjustment will see them shed the pounds before putting it back on again.
Finally to Carrick-on-Suir where last Friday saw 400 animals go under the hammer with auctioneer John Curran commenting “that the good ones were plenty good”.
The reality of the trade was pointed up clearly by the fact that as John said: “The better quality bigger cattle sold very well while the poorer stock came in at poorer prices.”
It rains on good cattle as well as bad, and if a farm is short of grass, it’s short for all stock. Thus, the reason the Holstein type bullock was back in price in Carrick wasn’t due to the weather or grass supply, but price divergence based on the animals’ beefing potential as determined by their conformation. Well that’s my theory anyway.
