Strong mart trade as buyers stock up for Christmas
Numbers continue to decline, but with beef again tending stronger at the factories, numbers of cull cows continue to increase, as dairy and suckler farmers take advantage of demand and move to clear out under-performing stock.
Beginning in Kilmallock on Tuesday, where their trade was described by Denis Kirby as “very good”.
“We had a big entry which included 260 cows and 48 pens of bullocks. The bullocks were a 100% clearance. Overall, it was a very good sale,” Denis said.
The men from the north had once again made the journey south, and among the statistics at the end of the sale was the one that showed they had returned north with a wide selection of stock, which included 80 of the 260 cull cows.
Factory type stock, “were all sold for around the €2 mark” Denis said.
“Weather isn’t a factor anymore, as everything bought is going straight to the shed,” he said. “The price rise of the last two weeks has been maintained.”
And like boats on the Shannon everything has risen with the tide, he said.
The heifer trade saw an equally buoyant trade with Aberdeen Angus in particular, “very much in demand”, Denis said.
Next Monday sees Kilmallock’s annual beef cattle show, plus a special Hereford cattle section, and a special weanling sale.
This week, one animal on the sheets caught my attention, a single Shorthorn bullock of 370 kilos that made €785 or €2.12 a kilo. Could this hardy traditionally smaller native breed be the answer to the question raised after this year’s summer in some quarters, of what to buy that might survive better in difficult conditions.
Surviving very well is Tom McCarthy of Bandon who told me that their trade on Monday was “very good”.
“Good cattle held very well, with even the plainer one up,” Tom said. Asked for specifics, he pointed up what he called “not top-end Friesian stores” of 480 kilos making €800. A slightly tricky trader from time to time over the last while has been the lighter Friesian but “these too were improved”, Tom said, giving the example of a lot of 355 kilo animals making €670. As in Kilmallock, cow numbers brought up the overall attendance very respectably. “We had 90 cull cows and a good straight feeding cow of 600 kilos could rattle €900,” he said. Bullock numbers were easier at 155, while the turn out heifers was also less, at just 60. However the trade was lively, with Tom commenting, “We had more men looking for cattle than last week.” Summing up proceedings, he said, “Buyers were buying and sellers were happy”.
Ennis’s sale on Tuesday saw numbers broadly in line with the same week last year. “We weren’t up or down 20 head on last year,” said mart manager Martin McNamara.
As in all other marts, cull cows were a good trade. The weanling trade saw farmers very active for all types, while the shippers seemed to restrict themselves to a category between 260 and 320 kilos.
Martin reckons that some of the lighter types would be kept on hands over the winter by both farmers and shippers, to be shown again next spring.
Prices on the day were well maintained, with €3 a kilo and more achievable for the better bulls, with Martin commenting, “The handy heifer was about €400 with the weight for a 300 to 350 kilo animal with the top end reaching €500 with the weight.” Martin felt numbers of weanlings going through the marts are less this year than expected, but predicted a spring rush. “We could see a lot of yearlings,” he concluded.
Tuesday saw Kanturk hold their annual fat stock show. With an excellent turn out of top quality premium animals, prices were well up. “Five to six hundred euro a head on last year,” according to Michael Scanlon. In the general sale, numbers of cull cows were also up, with Michael commenting that they had a lot of younger cows. “Three, four or six years,” he said.
His comment on the age profile reflected observations made by others I spoke to this week on the increased numbers of younger cows coming on the market.
One man was of the opinion that some dairy men might be driving their cows too hard during the milking season, and not building them back up sufficiently so as to be able to carry a calf the following year.
Leaving that theory aside, the prices achieved during Kanturk’s special sale were truly mouth watering. The champion on the day was a Limousin heifer owned by Mervyn Busteed of Bandon, weighting 865 kilos. She made €3,100, and was bought by Twohigs Super Valu of Kanturk. Reserve champion was also a Limousin heifer of 845 kilos belonging to Dennis O’Connor. When €2,700 was reached, she became the proud property of Frank Burke from Limerick. The champion cow was owned by James O’Connor from Kiskeam. Weighing 860 kilos, she went to Anthony O’Connor of Cullen for €2,150. The table gives a further flavour of the quality and prices paid on the day.
Castleisland’s sale saw numbers tending smaller. “Nut the trade was a good bit firmer,” said Richard Harnett.
Richard commented that there was a lot of interest in both Aberdeen Angus and Hereford weanlings. “The special factory schemes are paying a premium above the price for continentals,” Richard said.
He cited the example of an Aberdeen Angus bull of 310 kilos making €675. Heifers were also firmer. As else where, cull cow numbers were very strong, with prices “up by as much as €70 in two weeks”.
“It was a very dear sale, with demand exceeding supply” said Martin Ryan on Thurles , commenting on their sale on Monday.
“We had extra buyers and prices were very serious all round, we had a lot of cattle that made from €700 to €800 with the weight,” he said.
Chatting about this “surge” in prices, Martin was of the opinion that some of these late year and newer buyers had made up their minds that they were not going to be left without the numbers of stock that they traditionally carry going into the Christmas break.
“Regardless of price?” I asked. “The men buying know their needs” he replied.
The cull cow saw her price lift in line with most other marts, with Martin commenting that they were up €100 to €120 on the day. Again, it was a case of buyers simply wanting them, “Quality didn’t really come into it, we cleared them all 100%,” he said.
Sixmilebridge also reported an improved trade, with their sale on Saturday described by Sean Ryan as “improved all round”.
“Bullocks are up €100 in a month,” he said.
The heifer trade saw an increase in numbers, but that only still amounted to a “handy show”.
“But many made €2 a kilo,” Sean said. Cull cows made up a significant portion of the sale, with Sean commenting that many farmers with cows either not in calf or coming to the end of their milking career were definitely “tempted by mart prices”, as opposed to going the fattening road.
The weanling trade also improved. “They were all improved, with the lighter weanling up markedly,” he said.
Sean still considers weanling numbers less than expected as did his neighbour Martin McNamara of Ennis mart earlier.
“There are less of them around at the minute, but it could be that men have decided to keep and feed them for better weights,” Sean said.
Those that were there, and it was no small show, met a very strong trade, with “farmers the main buyers, more so than the shippers.” Numbers of heavy cattle were back on the day, but part of the reason is probably that Sixmilebridge will be holding their fatstock sale next Saturday.
