Reopening of marts to buyers will be marked with price rise

Latest prices from Macroom, Skibbereen, Dungarvan, Kanturk, Kilmallock and Ennis

Wed, 12 May, 2021 - 10:23

Denis Lehane

"The fellow who coined 'A wet and windy May fills the shed full of hay,' wasn't too worried about the poor grass in May," silage contractor Michael McCarthy said to me the other evening as he waited for conditions to improve.

In a normal year, which this certainly is not, men like Michael would be busy by now mowing and harvesting silage. Bringing into farmers yards the fodder that keeps our show on the road over the winter.

But alas, this year because of poor growth and poor conditions prevailing at present, the action is on hold. The mowers have fallen silent.

At Skibbereen mart last Friday, this Limousin steer born 2019 weighed 705kg and sold for €1,700.

And just as the distinctive song of the cuckoo heralds the beginning of spring, the familiar sound of an empty silage trailer rattling down a narrow boreen heralds the beginning of summer around these parts. Alas, the rattling has yet to begin in earnest, so too has the summer.

And so we go to the marts where all is about to change. Next Monday buyers are set to return to the ring and this can only be seen as a positive in every regard, and especially with regards to price. Up, is the only way I see things going once the boys are back in town.

We will begin this week with Macroom mart, where on Saturday cattle numbers were back but prices overall remain strong. Suckler cows with calves at foot sold from €1250 to €1850. In calf suckler cows made from €900 to €1470 a head.

Dry cows sold from €100 to €970 with the kilo. Friesian bullocks in Macroom made from €1.60/kg to €1.90/kg.

Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks in Macroom sold from €2.05/kg to €2.30/kg. Continental bullocks sold from €2.20/kg to €2.45/kg. Heifers made from €2.05/kg to €2.35/kg.

Macroom
Saturday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	AA	steers	690kg	1540
6	AA	steers	385kg	850
4	Hr	steers	541kg	1150
3	Ch	steers	386kg	900
2	Sim	heifers	377kg	870
1	Lm	cow	800kg	1770
1	Fr	cow	650kg	1290

Ger Flynn, Dungarvan mart manager, reported "A good demand for all beef types of cattle with store cattle slightly easier on Monday, more so for lighter store bullocks."

Dungarvan
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
10	AA	steers	593kg	1450
3	Sim	steers	385kg	850
4	AA	heifers	530kg	1210
2	Hr	heifers	527kg	1030
2	BB	heifers	395kg	880
1	AA	cow	690kg	1160
1	Fr	cow	715kg	1100

Cattle prices also remain strong at Kilmallock mart this week with the demand for stock coming from farmers, exporters and feed lots purchasers.

Bullocks in Kilmallock sold for up to €1520 a head or €2.47 per kg.

160 dry cows were on offer in Kilmallock this week, they sold for up to €1670 a head or €2.10 per kg. Heifers made up to €1450 a head or €2.53 per kg. Calves sold for up to €470 (paid for an 8 week old Charolais bull). Dairy stock sold for up to €2260 a head on Tuesday.

On this coming Saturday, May 15th, there will be an organic sale at Kilmallock mart beginning at 11am.

Kilmallock
Monday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	AA	steer	535kg	1280
3	Ch	steers	547kg	1270
5	Hr	steers	525kg	1160
3	Lim	steers	483kg	1110
1	Fr	steer	495kg	990
5	AA	steers	583kg	1390
1	Lim	steer	610kg	1320

In Skibbereen on Friday dry cows sold from €60 to €1045 with the kilo.

Weanling bulls sold from €240 to €570 with the kilo. Hereford and Aberdeen Angus bullocks sold from €275 to €777 with the kilo.

Continental bullocks sold from €330 to €1058 with their weight.

Skibbereen
Friday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
3	Hr	steers	623kg	1400
3	AA	steers	336kg	790
1	Lm	steer	705lg	1700
2	Ch	steers	582kg	1640
1	Ch	steer	635kg	1670
1	Ch	cow	795kg	1840
1	Lm	cow	655kg	1500

And on Tuesday evening, with the bitter cold gone and a milder feeling to the air, Kanturk mart manager Seamus O'Keeffe gave us the following report.

"We had another busy day here at Kanturk Mart with 720 cattle, including 400 calves, with plenty of demand for all types of cattle.

"The change in weather and grass growing has seen an increase in the demand for cattle.

"Prices were back to what they were 2 weeks ago. We also had a selection of dairy cows with prices varying between €1400 and €2300 with plenty of demand.

"Smaller heifers sold well and were making €2/kg to €2.40/kg on Tuesday."

Kanturk
Tuesday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
1	AA	steer	755kg	1460
5	Hr	steers	573kg	1200
5	Fr	steers	626kg	1190
1	AA	heifer	610kg	1320
1	Hr	heifer	530kg	1100
1	Fr	cow	735kg	1180
1	AA	cow	700kg	1220

Ann Keane of Clare Co-Op marts reported "A good size sale of bullocks at Ennis mart again this week with just over 300 on offer.

"The trade was strong all round on Friday with quite a few forward stock available again.

"Some very strong prices paid for quality stores. The beef trade is strong at the moment with large numbers going North again this week."

And looking back to Thursday's sale of dry cows and heifers in Ennis mart Ann added,

"Numbers holding well in the cull cow and heifer rings. There was some great beef through the cows and a couple of pens of serious beef heifers.

"A great demand for all types of beef, with the store and feeder type cows a shade easier.

"We had about a dozen aged bulls at Thursday's sale and these met a fine trade, with an average of €1.80/kg was achieved. A good Charolais bull of 970kg made €1,870."

Ennis
Thursday/Friday
No	Breed	Sex	Weight	€
2	Ch	steers	365kg	1180
1	Lm	steer	765kg	1950
2	Lm	steers	442kg	1220
1	AA	steer	695kg	1770
1	Lm	heifer	625kg	2200
1	BB	heifer	530kg	1760
1	Hr	heifer	460kg	970