Cattle marts report: Mart trade going well but may need milder weather to maintain buyer confidence
Coincidentally, the first calves I spotted in the calf ring on Monday were Herefords.
A little over a month old, a bunch of four made €400.
And next in were a bunch of Hereford heifers aged slightly under a month, they made €430 a head.
With that kind of money being paid for Hereford calves, I think it’s safe to say that Pat is doing a good job.
In Bandon on Monday, the mart had its biggest calf sale of the year so far, with over 2,000 calves on offer.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 BB steer 510kg 1260
4 Ch steers 412kg 1135
3 AA steers 378kg 900
1 AA heifer 385kg 820
1 Ch heifer 775kg 1530
1 AA cow 780kg 1670
1 Fr cow 515kg 985
Because of a healthy export market, there is a nice price cushion under the Friesian bull calf, with few going below the €100 mark.
The Aberdeen Angus is the only calf who seems to have slipped price-wise since the start of the year.
So for those with pockets that aren’t too deep, throwing a few euros in the direction of an Angus wouldn’t be a bad move.
There was a very strong trade for dry cows in Bandon on Monday; they sold from €100 over the kilo to to €890 over. Heifers sold from €400 to €800 with their weight.
Continental bullocks in Bandon made from €500 to €800 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks in Bandon on Monday ranged in price from €400 to €720 with the kilo. Friesians sold from €250 to €550 with the kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Lm steer 680kg 1465
5 AA steers 571kg 1270
6 Fr steers 576kg 1145
2 Ch heifers 410kg 1020
2 AA heifers 470kg 1050
1 AA cow 775kg 1300
1 Fr cow 830kg 1415
Next we move to Dungarvan mart, also on Monday, and to mart manager Ger Flynn, who gave us this report. “There was a good upbeat sale for all types of stores, with a very good sale for forward Friesian cows also.”
Kilmallock mart had 2,500 cattle and calves on offer on Monday last, with the trade for all stock described as “unreal at the moment,” by Denis Kirby.
On Saturday (April 4), an Aberdeen Angus sale with 36 bulls on offer takes place in Kilmallock.
Looking at dairy stock in Kilmallock, last Monday the mart had a clearance sale with prices of up to €1,900 being paid, and €1,700 plus was very common for dairy stock.
And in suckling, a 3-year-old Simmental with a Simmental bull calf made €1,530. A 7-year-old Hereford and her Charolais heifer calf sold for €1,450. A 3-year-old Aberdeen Angus springing down to a Hereford made €1,240.
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Hr steers 395kg 905
2 Fr steers 395kg 875
2 AA steers 338kg 730
2 Ch steers 515kg 1315
1 Lm heifer 450kg 1100
1 AA heifer 495kg 1070
1 Hr heifer 465kg 990
The mart trade this week is more or less driving on as merry as ever.
As we begin the month of April, I think it’s fair to say that the trade has changed little since the dawn of 2015. The desire for store cattle is as buoyant as ever.
The only dark cloud on the horizon could well be the dark clouds — because the weather has yet to get its act together. Summer officially begins in less than a month, but we are still awaiting the arrival of spring.
Winter this year is a bit like a visitor who doesn’t know when to go.
He gets up from the table and says his goodbyes.
But just when you think he’s about to leave, he breaks into a another old yarn.
And much as you appreciate him coming, you’d damn well like him to go at this stage.
I was talking to a fellow about a month ago now on how to protect my leftover round bales, so that they would be in good order for next winter. Well, it’s not a problem anymore.
“This winter could last a lot longer than people think,” a local farmer said to me over the weekend, and he could well be right — even if the forecast is promising for the Easter weekend at least.
“Have cattle prices peaked, and will it take milder weather conditions to maintain confidence in the cattle trade?” was the question posed by Kilkenny mart manager George Candler this week.
No Breed Sex Weight €
10 Fr steers 635kg 1280
8 Lm steers 560kg 1470
6 Ch steers 410kg 1360
5 Hr steers 280kg 940
1 BB heifer 500kg 1300
3 Hr heifers 240kg 700
4 AA heifers 325kg 780
George had this report on last Thursday’s general cattle sale, “We had another good yard of cattle, with quality lots meeting an excellent trade. We also had a special suckler sale which saw a top call of €2,300 for a cow with twin calves.”
In-calf cows and heifers in Kilkenny sold from €1,300 to €1,760 a head.
And in Kilkenny on Thursday, Friesian cull cows sold from €1.25 to €1.90 per kilo, with continental cull cows ranging in price from €1.60 to €2.15 per kilo.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Ch steer 635kg 1470
2 Hr steers 355kg 890
2 Fr steers 442kg 810
4 AA heifers 335kg 820
5 Lm heifers 490kg 1460
1 Hr cow 865kg 1510
1 Lm cow 770kg 1470
In Skibbereen mart on Friday, dry cows sold from €100 to €700 over the kilo.
Heifers made from €350 to €800 with their weight.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €400 to €750 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks made from €270 to €545 over the kilo, with Continental stock making up to €900 with their weight.
Suckler stock in Skibbereen sold from €1,000 to €1,320 a head. Dairy stock here made from €1,040 to €1,520 a head.
Skibbereen Mart is open for business as usual tomorrow, Good Friday.
Looking next to Corrin, where mart manager Sean Leahy gave us this report after Tuesday’s cattle sale.
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Lm steer 870kg 1550
2 Sim steers 580kg 1415
1 Fr steer 750kg 1510
5 AA steers 460kg 1090
2 Hr heifers 514kg 1145
1 Sim heifer 466kg 1205
1 Fr cow 718kg 1250
“A very large sale of bullocks met with a steady trade, but with a very good demand for quality lots.”
In Corrin, store bullocks made from €150 to €580, forward store bullocks sold from €440 to €580 over the kilo, with beef bullocks making up to €880 with their weight.
There was a good demand for heifers in Corrin, with store heifers making from €250 to €590 with their weight, with butcher types making up to €786 over the kilo.
There was a strong demand for dry cows in Corrin and they sold from €600 to €1,250 a head.
In Macroom mart on Saturday, a good trade was reported for stock across the board.
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 AA steers 500kg 1290
5 Ch steers 666kg 1570
1 Lm steer 545kg 1590
1 Ch steer 180kg 630
2 BB heifers 465kg 1190
1 Au cow 800kg 1520
1 Lm cow 645kg 1200
“We had a massive increase in the average price paid for Friesian bull calves,” Martin Ryan of Thurles mart said after Monday’s cattle sale.
The average price paid for the Friesian bulls was €157.
No Breed Sex Weight €
9 Fr steers 553kg 1140
2 Ch steers 250kg 730
3 AA steers 516kg 1290
3 Hr steers 450kg 1040
4 Lm steers 490kg 1310
4 Lm heifers 261kg 770
1 BB heifer 500kg 1450
Finally for this week, we go to Kanturk mart, where on Tuesday evening, mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe gave us the following report.
“We had a slightly smaller sale this week with 900 calves and 500 cattle on offer. Prices were a little back due to bad weather, with many customers waiting until better grass growth.
Buyers from around the country were present as usual.”
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Ch steers 600kg 1450
1 Lm steer 415kg 1020
1 AA steer 490kg 1005
1 Hr heifer 735kg 1250
1 Sim heifer 535kg 1070
1 BB cow 705kg 1350
1 Fr cow 650kg 1140
