Mart prices hold despite big entries as rain and cold end the Indian summer
I realised this last Friday night after returning home with a few pints on board.
It was clear to be seen (even with my blurred vision) that the change had occurred.
Our summer was at an end. With the night being a cold and wet one, I resolved there and then to bring in a few smaller calves who had up to that point being getting away with blue murder on account of the mild nights.
I found the herding of stock with a few pints on board to be a most pleasurable activity. Nothing fazed me, as I merrily went about my business.
Indeed, back in the 1970s, many marts operated in a similar fashion, fuelled by alcohol. And I don’t only mean the farmers. Drovers, farmers, auctioneers, the whole lot of them could be functioning under the influence of spirits and beer.
Did the trading suffer as a consequence? Not at all. If anything, the world of cattle dealing was away more colourful and jolly.
Those days are well behind us now.
Back to the present, the change in weather is certainly bringing more cattle to the marts, but with prices this week holding firm in spite of the increase of stock.
We will start this week in the sunny south east with Dungarvan mart — and the less than sunny skies that prevailed over Monday’s cattle sale. Mart manager Ger Flynn gave us the following report. “We had a very big sale here on Monday, with atrocious weather conditions to contend with. However, cattle prices remain firm, with an excellent trade for all forward stores.”
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Ch steer 670kg 1510
4 Hr steers 593kg 1180
3 AA steers 611kg 1155
1 BB heifer 625kg 1350
3 Ch heifers 638kg 1370
1 AA cow 825kg 1560
1 Fr cow 760kg 1180
I went to Bandon mart on Monday to pick up a few calves. In a packed calf ring, I got a few alright, but at a price that I dare not repeat here, for the pain is still too raw.
Yes, the calf trade is as buoyant as ever and coping very well with the change in weather.
There was a big sale of dry cows in Bandon on Monday, the mart had 110 on offer. Dry cows in Bandon sold from €65 to €625 over their weight. Heifers in Bandon made from €400 to €800 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks sold from €300 to €500 with the kilo. Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €400 to €750 with the kilo. Continental bullocks made up to €800 with the kilo.
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Lm steers 540kg 1255
4 Ch steers 461kg 1170
5 Hr steers 456kg 980
6 Fr steers 481kg 830
1 BB heifer 360kg 825
5 Hr heifers 393kg 805
1 Ch cow 765kg 1390
The daddy of all marts, Kilmallock, was certainly flexing its muscles on Monday, with close to 2,000 cattle on offer, and 747 buyers and sellers doing business. Denis Kirby said the trade was “very brisk in all rings.”
Bullocks in Kilmallock made up to €2.50 per kg. Dry cows hit €2.06 per kg. Heifers went to a high of €2.41 per kg.
Kilmallock had 900 weanlings on offer, with a top price of €3.34 per kg paid.
Looking at sucklers, a 4 year old Simmental and her Hereford bull calf sold for €1,800. A 2 year old Limousin and her Limousin heifer calf made €1,620. A5 year old Belgian Blue and her Charolais bull calf made €1,480.
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Lm steers 393kg 945
7 Hr steers 381kg 900
7 AA steers 399kg 900
4 Fr steers 363kg 745
2 Hr heifers 340kg 805
3 Lm heifers 332kg 800
3 AA heifers 478kg 925
Next we look at the mart scene in Thurles, here’s what mart manager Martin Ryan had to say after Monday’s cattle mart, “Our sale was big and our sale was lively. We had our biggest entry of heifers in decades. We also had over 50 sucklers on offer with good stock making nice money.”
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 AA steers 360kg 800
3 Hr steers 503kg 1105
1 Fr steers 451kg 860
3 Lm steers 393kg 1005
2 Ch steers 470kg 1205
5 Lm heifers 350kg 810
2 Ch heifers 482kg 1110
In Skibbereen mart on Friday, heifers made from €210 to €665 with the kilo.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €200 to €700 with the kilo. Continental bullocks made from €215 to €825 with the kilo.
Friday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Lm steers 535kg 1280
1 Ch steer 465kg 1290
4 AA steers 670kg 1250
2 Hr steers 500kg 1200
1 Lm heifer 585kg 1200
1 Ch heifer 385kg 850
1 BB heifer 605kg 1110
Kanturk mart was a packed affair on Tuesday. The mart yard was packed with vehicles, the mart pens were packed with cattle, and clearly some farmers present had pockets packed with cash. In a nutshell, it was a mart at full throttle.
I met mart manager Seamus O’Keeffe after the sale and he had this to say on the day of cattle trading. “We had a very big sale with 1,075 cattle on offer, and this included 390 weanlings. Prices were up on last week, with bullocks up €80-100 a head.
Tuesday
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Hr steer 770kg 1500
5 Sim steers 593kg 1265
2 LM steers 567kg 1230
2 Hr steers 608kg 210
1 Lm heifer 570kg 1205
1 AA heifer 645kg 1200
1 Fr cow 780kg 1290
1 Lm cow 690kg 1260
“We had our spring born weanling show and sale today sponsored by Southern Milling, Cork.
“The supreme champion was a Parthenaise bullock owned by Noel Cremin, Foyle, Ballydesmond, Co Cork. Weighing 470kg, this weanling sold for €1,170.
“And our reserve champion was a Limousin bullock owned by Brendan O’Callaghan, Newberry, Dromahane, Mallow, Co. Cork.
“This weanling weighed 470kg and made €1,100.”
And finally for this week we turn to Macroom mart, where on Saturday last, dry cows sold from €70 under to €575 over the kilo.
Hereford and and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €205 to €670 over the kilo. Continental bullocks made from €220 to €680 over the euro per kilo. Heifers sold from é210 to €730 over their weight. Weanling bulls sold from €270 to €715 over the kilo, with weanling heifers selling from €245 to €595 over the kilo.
Saturday
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 AA steer 650kg 1320
6 Hr steers 395kg 905
1 Lm steer 500kg 1180
2 Lm steers 375kg 970
1 Lm heifer 495kg 1205
1 Sim heifer 490kg 1220
