Mart Report: Prices weaken as grass men get their fill

Latest mart prices from Kilmallock, Dungarvan, Kanturk and Skibbereen

Wed, 21 Apr, 2021 - 09:09

Denis Lehane

The bedrock on which our trade rests is grass, and the need for farmers with grass to buy cattle.

Without these eager buyers on their phones, we’d be up a murky creek without a paddle in no time.

Unfortunately, there has been lower grass growth over the past two weeks, even down here in the sunny south, without enough sunlight, and wintry showers giving us all the shivers.

So this week’s predominantly dry and settled conditions can’t come fast enough, with its forecast of sunshine and daytime temperature highs of 11 to 16 degrees into the weekend and early next week, even if the nights will still be quite cold.

It’s still only April but it can feel like March, with grass staying rooted to the ground, giving cattle shoppers little encouragement to go mad on the phone.

At Skibbereen mart last Friday, this Limousin cow born in 2016 weighed 760kg and sold for €1,780.

As a result, the trade in the mart early this week steadied, and even weakened, for plain cattle.

In Kilmallock Mart this week there were 2,200 cattle.

The mart reported “a strong trade for all types of cattle.”

On Monday last, bullocks sold for up to €1,530 a head or €2.67 per kg.

Weanling bulls hit €1,290 a head or €3.00 per kg.

Dry cows were “a mighty trade” according to the mart, making up to €1,520 a head or €2.16 per kg.

Heifers sold up to €3.28 per kg.

Up to €490 was paid in the calf ring this week, for a four-week-old Belgian Blue heifer.

Suckler cows hit €1,500 (paid for a five-year-old Charolais and her Charolais heifer calf).

Dairy stock sold for up to €1,860 a head on Tuesday.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	BB	steer	360kg	960
5	AA	steers	394kg	900
2	Hr	steers	365kg	760
6	Fr	steers	301kg	640
7	AA	heifers	341kg	790
5	Sim	heifers	310kg	660
1	Lm	cow	395kg	780

Dungarvan mart next and mart manager Ger Flynn. "Still a strong demand for quality store cattle this week, however grass growth has slowed considerably in these parts which was also reflected in the trade.

"Plainer lots of Friesian bullocks were slightly back on last week."

Dungarvan
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
7	Ch	steers	590kg	1420
7	AA	steers	587kgs	1300
5	Fr	steers	586kg	1030
6	Ch	steers	358kg	920
5	Lim	heifers	346kg	930
1	Sim	heifer	490kg	1100

Kanturk had a special bull sale on Saturday run by North West Pedigree Breeders of Co. Leitrim. Aberdeen Angus bulls made from €1800 a head to a top price of €2670.

Hereford bulls made from €2000, to a top price of €2860 a head.

The same group are back in Kanturk with bulls on Saturday, May 1st.

This Saturday, April 24th, the mart will have a top class sale of 80 smashing British Friesian cows, all calved, and only waiting for the right man or woman to come along.

So plenty of variety there for buyers at Kanturk mart.

And looking back to Tuesday's online mart sale at Kanturk, mart manager Seamus O'Keeffe gave us the following report.

"We had a great sale here again on Tuesday with all types of cattle holding steady and plenty of customers.

"We had a total of 1170 cattle, this number included 480 calves."

Kanturk
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
3	Hr	steers	548kg	1200
6	AA	steers	460kg	920
7	Hr	steers	307kg	770
2	Lm	steers	565kg	1280
2	Ch	heifers	545kg	1180
1	AA	cow	855kg	1590
1	Fr	cow	690kg	1160

Skibbereen mart on Friday had some serious Limousin stock on offer, and exceptional prices to match the seriousness. Dry cows here made from €190 to €1040 with the kilo.

Heifers made from €240 to €790 with their weight. Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €240 to €860 over the weight. Continental types sold from €330 to €785 over the kilo. Weanling bulls in Skibbereen made from €240 to €575 with the kilo.

Skibbereen
Friday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	AA	steer	730kg	1590
3	Lm	steers	416kg	1050
1	Ch	steer	465kg	1250
4	Hr	steers	480kg	1040
1	Lm	heifer	460kg	1250
2	Ch	heifers	472kg	1220
1	BB	cow	655kg	1400