Trade in top spec animals stays steady as marts flourish in face of foul weather

The return to inclement weather over the past week has had little or no detrimental affect on the mart trade.

Thu, 30 Oct, 2014 - 00:00

Denis Lehane

And how could it have an impact on the mart trade, and fellows with pockets jingling after the first portion of the single payment has been dished out? Mart prices are holding well, mainly due to the jingle.

And as I mentioned last week, some fortunate farmers amongst our ranks will have a mighty jingle going on, and in reality are really only looking for someplace to stick their cash.

So for the immediate future, I herby predict that the trade for the quality store will continue strong.

I travelled to Bandon on Monday and found a busy mart in progress.

I spotted mart manager Tom McCarthy once or twice, but being busy himself, I decided to let him be for one week and judge the days action for myself.

The bullock trade was good for all types. I spotted two lots of young Friesian bullocks selling exceptionally well.

The first, a lot of ten Friesian bullocks born Jan/Feb 2014 weighing 289kg, sold for €490.

The second bunch again born in early 2014 weighed 310kg and sold for an impressive €550.

They were good cattle, but the money was mighty, particularly when you consider that at the start of the year a young Friesian male was about as popular as a water metre.

I noticed one farmer had four smashing Charolais heifers on offer, born in 2011 they sold in two lots, overall they averaged 812kg in weight and made €1,505 a head. Good money, even if there was a few miles on the clock.

In Bandon

on Monday dry cows made from €50 under to €500 with the kilo.

In Bandon continental bullocks sold from €450 to €700 over the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €320 to €600 with the kilo.

Meanwhile, at the same mart, Friesian bullocks sold from €150 to €500 with the kilo.

Bandon

Monday

No Breed Sex Weight €

4 Hr steers 550kg 1040

5 AA steers 499kg 1095

5 Ch steers 533kg 1100

3 Fr steers 551kg 1050

1 Sim steer 400kg 840

1 Fr cow 735kg 1140

1 Ch cow 675kg 1190

In Dungarvan mart on Monday suckler cows sold from €1,020 to €1,500 a head.

Mart manager Ger Flynn gave us this overall report on the sale, “we had a very good trade with numbers of stock holding and prices holding.”

Dungarvan

Monday

No Breed Sex Weight €

1 Sim steer 615kg 1220

6 Ch steers 542kg 1155

3 Lim steers 511kg 1100

7 Hr heifers 430kg 845

3 Lim heifers 460kg 930

1 Ch heifer 570kg 1115

1 Fr cow 650kg 1030

And the jingling men were also out in force in Thurles

mart on Monday. Mart manager Martin Ryan had this account of the action.

“We had a massive sale of cattle with a good strong trade. There were excellent prices paid for quality in spec stock, stock that ticked the boxes for QA purposes. There was an excellent trade for quality sucklers too.”

Thurles

Monday

No Breed Sex Weight €

6 Hr steers 407kg 845

3 Lm steers 515kg 1050

4 Fr steers 423kg 670

6 AA steers 418kg 850

4 Ch heifers 361kg 755

2 Sim heifers 530kg 1140

1 BB heifer 435kg 890

“The appetite of the 314 buyers in attendance for cattle is relentless,” said Martin Ryan.

This was the startling report we received from Kilmallock mart after Mondays cattle sale. I’m telling you, some fellows have money to burn right now. The jingle in the pants is ruling the head.

And in an attempt to quell the demand, Kilmallock had 1739 cattle on offer.

Bullocks here made up to €2.38/kg. Kilmallock had 170 dry cows on offer and they made up to €1.71/kg. Heifers went to a high to €2.34/kg.

Looking at suckling stock, a three-year-old Charolais and her Limousin heifer calf sold for €1,360, while a six-year-old Hereford cow and her Hereford bull calf fetched €1,200.

In dairying, a two-year-old calved Friesian heifer sold for €1,220 while a five-year-old calved cow made €1,000.

Kilmallock

Monday

No Breed Sex Weight €

2 Hr steers 398kg 820

3 AA steers 372kg 810

4 Fr steers 394kg 655

6 Ch steers 523kg 1080

4 Hr heifer 345kg 640

2 AA heifers 480kg 980

3 BB heifers 547kg 1060

Corrin

mart saw a large sale of bullocks on Tuesday with a trade similar to the previous week reported.

Store bullocks in Corrin sold from €150 to €530 over the kilo. With forward store bullocks making up to €620 over the kilo.

Here beef bullocks reached a high of €706 over the kilo

There was a very strong trade for heifers reported from Corrin. Store heifers ranged in price from €180 to €480 over the kilo, with butcher types making from €250 up to €720 over the kilo.

Corrin saw a lively trade for dry cow cows, here they sold from €460 up to €1,060 a head.

Corrin

Tuesday

No Breed Sex Weight €

4 Ch steers 730kg 1440

5 Hr steers 588kg 1115

4 BB steers 500kg 965

3 AA steers 467kg 930

1 Lm heifer 588kg 1300

2 AA heifers 510kg 920

1 Fr cow 740kg 1030

Last Tuesday was a good day for my flock of ewes. A ram finally made an appearance on the farm. And with that, my ewes prayers have been answered, their loneliness evaporated, their isolation at an end.

I purchased the Suffolk ram in Macroom

mart on Tuesday for €150. He’s young, but eager.

He’s small, but determined. I feel he’ll do the job fine, once he figures it out.

And with the weather turning decidedly chilly, I’m sure the ewes won’t complain about any inadequacies he may have. At the very least he will keep them warm.

I will keep you posted on how he’s conducting himself.

And staying with the trade in Macroom, we will return to the busy cattle scene where after Saturday’s sale mart manager John O’Mahony had this to report.

“We had a very big sale here on Saturday with a great trade for all types of animals across the board.”

Macroom

Saturday

No Breed Sex Weight €

5 Fr steers 500kg 790

5 Hr steers 504kg 1040

5 AA steers 475kg 1000

2 Ch steer 815kg 1500

1 Sim heifer 420kg 925

1 AA cow 685kg 1185

1 Hr cow 605kg 1000

Skibbereen